safety first. >> that's what's happening today in the bay. back at 7:25 with a live local news update. >> enjoy it and have a safe one. breaking overnight a wild celebration as egypt's president is removed from power. this morning she under house arrest, the country under new leadership. a volatile situation that has president obama deeply concerned. we are there live. caught in a lie, a key witness refutes george zimmerman's claim he never heard of florida's controversial stand your ground law before killing trayvon martin. this as the prosecution signals it's about to wrap up its case. and grand reopening. the statue of liberty set to welcome visitors again for the first time since superstorm sandy as the nation celebrates its independence today, july

4th, 2013. welcome to "today" on this thursday morning. as you look at some of our special guests, the united states air force, ceremonial brass, we'll hear from them. happy fourth of july and 237th birthday of the united states of america. i'm willie geist. >> i'm kate snow. matt and savannah taking the day off. >> happy fourth. >> always a special day across the country in new york in particular, the fireworks, but with the reopening of the statue of liberty. >> i was out there last year before sandy. it is magnificent. if you have never been we're going to take you there. you'll feel like you were there. >> absolutely. we wish you a happy fourth. we'll have all of that covered. we're following news. >> we begin out of egypt. the interim leader using his swearing in ceremony to praise

demonstrators and the days of protest that led to the removal of president mohammed morsi. >> the white house keeping a close eye on what's happening. with his national security team last night, and the state department now ordering all non-essential embassy staff and their families to leave egypt. let's get right to nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel in cairo. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. here the protest tents are starting to come down, a sign that at least this phase of egypt's political transition could be ending. the new transitional president has given his first speech calling on all sectors of egyptian society including the muslim brotherhood to participate in future politics. as for the ousted president, president morsi, when we asked the army today about his whereabouts, an army spokesperson would only say, quote, he is in a safe place.

wasting no time, egypt swore in a new president this morning, adly mansour. he's just a caretaker until a new election and seemed as surprised as anyone at the rapid turn of events. the ceremony came hours after an all-night party in cairo. wild celebrations for the army's ousting of president mohammed morsi. the reaction in tarir square. an instrument from the muslim brotherhood. many said his year in office was an experiment in political islam gone wrong. critics say he ignored the economy while empowering islamic fundamentalists. the military intervened at the people's request insisting it had no interest in running egypt. president obama said wednesday she deeply concerned about the egyptian military's decision, in

a statement released by the white house, the president called for the egyptian military to move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back to a democratically elected civilian government as soon as possible through an inclusive and transparent process. morsi is held incommune a ka due. several leaders detained. some held at the same prison as mubarak. supporter are furious. some are armed. there are fears they could go undergrown and become an insurgency. the u.s. embassy is worried there could be violence and is advising knot just non-essential staff to leave but american citizens in egypt as well. on a separate note the u.s. embassy canceled its traditional fourth of july reception. >> richard engel in a significantly quieter tarir square. thanks so much.

the washington bureau chief for alarabe joins us. this is an incredible day. 30 years with one leader, now in the last year alone, two leaders. fundamentally why did the egyptian people turn on their democratically elected president morsi? >> because the president led the country to the abyss literally. he was engaged in a power grab, he appointed his own people to government. instead of addressing the crushing economic crisis in the country, he wanted to tell the people how to be a good muslim. he deepened the rift in the egyptian society. the state institutions unrav unraveling. with the shiite community, he led egypt astray essentially, and although he was elected democratically, he did not true as a democrat he ruled as an

autocrat leading the form of government. all of those people who supported him a year ago. >> is there any concern in a young democracy that the military has stepped in after a year and that this could set a precedent, that any time the people become unhappy with their leadership the military can go in and change it and overturn a vote? >> absolutely. you don't want a khaki clad general announcing to the country that the constitution has been suspended. yes, it is, because it could be used theoretically in the future against a good democratically elected president and you don't want that. what happened does not amount to the level of a classic coup. this was not the violent, this was for the first time in the modern history of the middle east you have soft military coup if you want to call it that way, by popular demand. and look at the scene yesterday. the general addressing the egyptian people telling about his own road map to the future and he was surrounded not only by senior military officers, he

was surrounded by the highest religious authorities in the country. the christian leader of the coptic community along with the leader of all major political groups, everybody isolated the muslim brotherhood. the danger is that you don't want to push them too far, alienate them so they go underground and resort to acts of terror as they have done in the 1990s against the mubarak regime. this is the threat. >> quickly before i let you go, president obama saying last night he is quote deeply concerned. beside the $1.3 billion in foreign aid what is at stake for the united states? >> well, at stake is the civility of a linchpin of american influence in the middle east. egypt is a pivotal country. the president did not use the word coup. he will not use the word coup. he would say to the egyptians as he has to by american law look, we want a quick transitional period, no violence, no

retribution and try to be as inclusive as possible. egypt will remain pivotal for the united states and this president is not going to let egypt down and will support the government along the other alleys, saudi arabia and the united arab emirates and others. >> thanks so much. >> we're learning more today about the deadly wildfire tragedy in arizona. thomas roberts is in for that. >> good morning. federal investigators are trying to figure out the details around

thomas. >> thanks so much. bolivia's president returns home this after his plane was diverted following rumors that edward snowden the nsa leaker was on board. he received a hero's welcome when his plane landed. morales was returning from russia when his plane was forced to land in austria. there were suspicions that american fugitive edward snowden was on board. eight boaters and two teams rescued by the coast guard on wednesday. look at this. the coast guard video, you can see the boaters waving frantically for help. the boat was lost at sea for four days. all were flown to safety. >> dramatic pictures out of ohio. a sinkhole where it swallowed up

a car traveling down a street. the sinkhole was at least ten feet deep. rescuers had to lower a ladder so the driver could climb out. she wasn't seriously hufrmt crews used a crane to pull the car out next. look at that. this is probably not the car wash that one san diego driver had in mind but it will work. a man crashed into a fire high dranlt sending water 80 feet in the air, and crashing back on top of the car. the driver was trapped. crews had to pull the car away from the hydrant before they could get the driver out. i would deal with a misting tent in this studio right about now. >> it's 11 minutes after the hour. >> it's a little bit warm. >> muggy in here as it is outside. >> close. >> that gives us a smooth transition to maria. >> it's unbearable. with all of that humidity it's going to be a day of heavy rainfall for so many of us, we have a number of flood watches from the gulf coast into the ohio valley. we've seen rainfall amounts over

a foot. we're likely seeing half a foot more additional rainfall during the day today and tomorrow. a threat of severe weather including tornados possible in the panhandle of florida, but dry along the i-95 corridor. a look at your national forecast, we'll get to your local forecast in 60 seconds. 7:12. fourth of july. happy independence day to you. malpyre works up in the north bay. we have showers and thunderstorms along the peninsula as well.

zooming in to the cell. watch out for light rainfall from the sunset all the way through the richmond district and i'm watching this pretty robust thunderstorm cell. pressing towards 101. 36 minutes away from palo alto. you will get light rainfall. 99 in concord today. >> that's a look at your weather. kate, over to you. >> maria, thanks. the prosecution in the george zimmerman trial is expected to call its final witnesses when the court reopens tomorrow, this after another dramatic day of testimony on wednesday. nbc's kerry sanders is in sanford, florida, following it all. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, kate. yes, the court is closed today, but on this 4th of july, the jury is still sequestered. the court says they have special activities planned for them, but what they're doing remains a secret. it's a short break from the massive amount of testimony they've already heard from 35 witnesses. former professor alexis carter testified george zimmerman was

an "a" student in his college criminal litigation class. >> he was probably one of the better students in the class. >> reporter: it's been three years since carter taught zimmerman, yet the professor clearly remembers his student as defense attorney don west demonstrated to the jury. >> you see george over here? >> how you doing, george? >> reporter: carter testified the stand your ground law was a topic in his class. >> i remember talking about it quite a few times, not just on one particular occasion. >> reporter: yet in a fox news interview played for the jury tuesday, zimmerman said this. >> i was just curious, prior to this night, this incident, had you even heard stand your ground? >> no, sir. >> you'd never heard about it before? >> no. >> reporter: stand your ground is a florida law that allows people fearing for their lives to use deadly force without having to retreat. >> he was hitting my head against the sidewalk. i felt like my head was going to

explode. >> reporter: zimmerman, who's pled not guilty, says trayvon martin attacked him, and he shot and killed the unarmed 17-year-old in self-defense. >> you don't have to wait until you're almost dead before you can defend yourself? >> no. i was advised you probably don't do that. >> reporter: a rare moment of levity in this second degree murder trial. on wednesday, the jury was again shown the pistol zimmerman used that night, the sweatshirt martin was wearing, and the bullet hole made by the deadly shot to his lung and heart. the state presented testimony from a dna analyst. >> state's exhibit 186. >> reporter: who said only zimmerman's fingerprints were found on the gun's grip. >> yes. trayvon martin was excluded as being a possible contributor. >> reporter: and that none of zimmerman's dna was found underneath martin's fingernails, despite zimmerman saying the teenager repeatedly slammed his head into the concrete. >> can you hear us okay? >> yes. >> reporter: and the technical

challenge in court wednesday sparked more levity as the witness had to testify on skype with the skype address visible on tv. some couldn't resist calling in. >> is there another phone that we can call into? >> reporter: skype. well, prosecutors are expected to call their last witnesses tomorrow. it could include trayvon's mother. kate? >> kerry sanders in florida, thank you. lisa bloom is a "today" legal analyst. lisa, good morning. happy 4th to you. >> good morning to you as well. >> you just heard kerry sanders report that zimmerman's former professor was on the stand yesterday, talking about teaching stand your ground in his classroom. what does that tell us? because zimmerman in an interview last year said he'd never heard of that law before. is the prosecution simply trying to show, once again, that he's inconsistent? >> two big problems with that for george zimmerman. number one, it appears to be an out and out lie. he's caught on that videotape with a friendly interviewer saying, i never heard of it, and

his professor says he was one of my best students, and we talked about it all the time. secondly, this is something the prosecution can argue in closing argument. you know what, he was educated enough in the law of self-defense to concoct a story right at the time of this shooting and give it to the police and stick to that story that it was self-defense because he knew that could exonerate him. >> so they're trying to prove perhaps that zimmerman knew enough about the law to make an excuse and use it in his own defense. >> exactly. that he could say i was in fear for my life. he was reaching for the gun. these are the magic words in self-defense law, and george zimmerman seemed to know them. >> we had forensic he said prese evidence presented in court, dna evidence. kerry mentioned it. the prosecution seemed to be trying to show there was no dna found under trayvon martin's fingernails or on his hands. why is this important? and did they make a convincing case on the dna? is

>> it's certainly curious because george zimmerman says trayvon martin punched him in the face. if that's so, and trayvon martin tried to suffocate him, putting his hands over zimmerman's face, why is there no dna on his hands, his fingernails or the cuffs of the shirt he was wearing? the problem is they had to admit there were real problems on the collection of the evidence. for example, the hoodie that trayvon martin was wearing got very wet from the rain. it was bagged in plastic, leading to the decomposition of biological evidence. >> lisa bloom, thanks as always. we'll be back at it again tomorrow. >> thank you very much. now to a fitting reopening on this 4th of july. for the first time in more than eight months the statue of liberty welcoming visitors again. katie is live on liberty island in new york harbor. happy fourth. >> reporter: happy fourth to you, willie. to give you an idea where we are, we're right across the island of manhattan here on liberty island. it's been since superstorm sandy

hit just too damaged to let people on here. but they're finally going to reopen for the 4th of july, allowing visitors once again to meet our country's gate keeper. she's been standing sentinel over new york harbor for 126 years, guiding in the poor, tired, huddled masses yearning to breathe free. but of late, she's been decidedly lonely. one day after her 126th birthday, sandy came rushing in, swamping lady liberty's tiny island, breaking railings, breaking docks, and tearing up paving stones. eight long months with nary a visitor until today, the 4th of july. >> very fitting. perfect, actually. independence day, and it's great that it's reopening on the 4th. >> reporter: for the first time since the storm, liberty lovers will be allowed back on the island and back up to her crown. in 2009, "today" was there for her grand reopening after 9/11. >> we come to you live from the

statue of liberty today. >> reporter: climbing all 354 steps to the crown. >> cancel the gym. >> reporter: it took nearly a decade to resolve security concerns after the 2001 attacks, and today security will once again be a priority with visitors going through screenings both before the ferry ride and at her base. a minor inconvenience for those who look up and see the statue as not just a symbol of our freedom, but our resilience. >> the statue reopening after hurricane sandy, it's just like a testament to the courage and fortitude of new yorkers. everyone has stuck together and stayed strong. now we have a chance to turn to a symbol of our great, great city. >> reporter: liberty island and ellis island, which is right back there, sustained about $59 million in damage. ellis island is still closed. they hope to get it back up and running later this year. our video is very good. our cameras are very good.

doesn't quite do it justice. you've really got to see her in person. it's quite magnificent. and my producer will scream at me if i don't tell you this, but she really is our nation's first miss america, unofficially. i think we're going to go with it. >> there she is. she's got the tiara and all. katie, thanks so much. nothing like seeing the fireworks over lady liberty. we'll see them tonight. >> just standing by is impressive. >> going to be a beautiful night in new york harbor. coming up, new details on the arrest of nfl star aaron hernandez. why was he keeping a secret apartment just miles from his home? and tom brokaw taking us on a very personal tour of another of america's crown jewels, yellowstone national park. first this is "today" on nbc. good morning! wow.

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walmart choice premium steak in the black package. it's 100% money back guaranteed. try it for your next backyard barbecue. good morning pow. 7:26. b.a.r.t. workers are on strike for a fourth straight day. b.a.r.t. met with union meg officiators for another round of talks yesterday but still no deal. health meet again today at 11:00 this morning. kids camp near yosemite trying to return to a sense of normalcy after a fallen tree killed a counselor yesterday. rittenberg was a student at uc santa cruz who was working at camp tawonga for the summer. four other women were injured when the tree fell but are expected to be okay. at least three businesses are damaged after an overnight pyre in san jose. happened on north king road near mare mayberry. a story you will only see on nbc bay area, several sources tell us the san jose police officers

association v has lost the arbitration battle with the city. we are told that the ruling means a cap on cashing out of accrued vacation and sick time. the officers will not get back the 10% in pay they gave up to help the city balance its books p p p there is a verdict but cannot comment on the specifics. the city charter prevents public disclosure for ten day society the two sides can possibly negotiate a better deal. a check of the fog this fourth of july. how is it looking? >> we have really interesting weather out there this morning. good morning to you. want to start with all of this lightning right now up in the north bay. let me take you along the peninsula where we have showers coming down. showers and still triple digit heat in the forecast for today. so this is what we are looking towards as we head throughout the next couple of hours in a the afternoon. temperatures are going to continue to stay warm and we are going to see hit or miss showers just about all day long. one of the cells located over the golden gate bridge. look at this. big area of heavy rainfall

headed towards newark, 45 minutes. concentrated over pal o alto. hot with the tropical moisture pumping in. more thunderstorms. 102 degrees in livermore. 93 in san jose today. and 78 degrees in san francisco. when the sun goes down, the fireworks light up the sky and it will be comfortable in the city. you will be able to see them tonight. 60 degrees at 9:00 p.m. the good news is we will cool down as we head to the weekend. 7-day forecast in a few minutes. >> sounds great. another local news update coming up in a half hour. hope to see you then.

7:30 now on this thursday morning, july 4th, 2013. the american flags all in place out there on rockefeller plaza. a big crowd gathering, beginning their holiday with us, getting ready for the fireworks later. we expect another big crowd tomorrow, by the way, when music superstar john mayer is here, our summer concert stage tomorrow. >> you thought today was big, 4th of july, just wait until tomorrow when john mayer gets here. >> inside studio 1a, i'm kate snow on "today" with willie geist and thomas roberts, filling in on the holiday. coming up, growing concern for a teenager jailed for nearly five months for something he said on facebook. the post threatened a school shooting, but the family says it was just a joke. we'll talk to his father.

then we'll lighten things up a bit with a trip to one of america's great treasures. tom brokaw on a trip to yellowstone national park beyond the always old faithful. first, the investigation tightens around nfl star aaron hernandez. stephanie gosk, good morning. >> search warrants obtained by nbc news contains new evidence the prosecution has gathered. perhaps even more interesting, the documents reveal how investigators discovered that evidence. aaron hernandez is the only suspect charged with the murder of 27-year-old odin lloyd, but prosecutors say the new england patriots player was joined by two other men the night of shooting. one of those men, carlos ortiz, was questioned by investigators the day before hernandez was arrested, according to search warrants obtained by nbc news. ortiz is being held without bail after pleading not guilty to an illegal weapons charge. according to the warrants, he told police that hernandez had an address not many people know

about, a two-bedroom apartment that ortiz described as a flop house. valuable information from a man who may be helping the prosecution build a case against hernandez, says legal expert david schwartz. >> it leads me to believe that there may be the beginnings of meaningful and substantial assistance to the government on the part of ortiz. >> reporter: while searching the two-bedroom condominium, investigators recovered multiple rounds, including three different calibers of ammunition located in a dresser drawer next to the nightstand. some .45 caliber, which prosecutors allege matched the kind of bullets used to kill lloyd. also found, a white colored hooded sweatshirt investigators believe matches the one aaron hernandez is seen wearing in security video the night of the murder. while hernandez sits in jail, nbc news has learned from law enforcement sources that new evidence seized in bristol, connecticut, could tie the football player to a separate crime, a double homicide in

boston last summer. hernandez is under investigation for a possible connection to the drive by shooting. two men were killed, and one was injured. police impounded a silver suv found in the garage belonging to hernandez's uncle. the vehicle matches the description of the one police believe was used in the 2012 murders. there have been no charges so far in the 2012 double murder. aaron hernandez has pled not guilty in the odin lloyd case and is being held without bail. his next appearance is scheduled f for july 24th. >> stephanie gosk, thank you so much. >> let's switch gears and get the all important july 4th forecast. maria la rosa is outside. >> good morning. a wonderful group from michigan. you guys were helping out on staten island for after sandy. >> we were helping with the drywall and painting houses and the different yard work. >> thank you so much for your service to community and on this

july 4th. how about some of the celebrations going on? will they be rained out? so far, so good for the big macy's fireworks here along the hudson. partly cloudy, warm and sticky, temps near 80 degrees. as we look across the country, it is continuing. flash flooding, a big concern from the southeast into the ohio valley. the midsection looking good from chicago to minneapolis to oklahoma city. still sizzling across the southwest. looking 7:34. lots of lightning up in the north bay earlier this morning. now we are getting thunderstorms here on the peninsula. palo alto, light to mod sxrat heavy rainfall. all of this is moving towards the southeast and will be in fremont the next 57 minutes. otherwise, we have a hot fourth of july headed our way inland. 102 in livermore and 87 in fremont today. sun drops off and it will be nice in is an plan. 60 degrees. mice and clear this year. get into the weekend, last day of triple digit heat, 80s return tomorrow. >> and you can get a look at

your local forecast any time at weather.com. kate, back to you. >> maria, thanks. now to a case in texas that's getting national attention. a teenager who has now spent months behind bars for a comment he posted on facebook. here's nbc's mark potter. >> reporter: 19-year-old justin carter has spent nearly five months in the comal county jail in new braunfels, texas, near san antonio. he's being held on $500,000 bond. his father, jack carter, says he worries about his son's safety behind bars. >> he's scared for his life, and i'm scared for his life, and every minute he's in there is just another moment of torture for me and for him. >> reporter: police say during a facebook conversation last february, two months after the sandy hook elementary school shootings, carter wrote, "i think i'm a shoot up a kindergarten and watch the blood of the innocent rain down and eat the beating heart of one of them." authorities charged carter with making a terroristic threat, a

third degree felony that could lead to a two to ten-year prison term if he's convicted. >> unfortunately, any time we have one of those comments made about a school system, the history of school violence has shown we have to take those very seriously. >> reporter: attorney don flaner ti, who represents carter, seen her years ago, said the teen only wrote those in response to an insult and was only kidding. >> he never thought anyone would take that to mean he's serious. it's clearly sarcasm. >> reporter: both carter's father and the attorneys say they clearly understand why authorities became concerned but argue there's no evidence carter ever intended or had the means to carry out a threat. >> he's a good kid, and he never did anything, and there was not any weapons. i think it's very obvious. >> reporter: in a written statement, the district attorney's office says, "justin carter's case will proceed through the criminal justice system like all other felony cases." carter's attorney says he will soon ask for a reduced bond so

carter can come home to his family so fight the charges for an online message, he says, the teen now regrets. for today, mark potter, nbc news. still ahead, maybe you got a wedding gift that you didn't like so much. wait until you hear what one bride did to express her dissatisfaction. >> very aggressively. let's put it that way. up next, one of america's great treasures. yes, tom brokaw, but also his favorite park, yellowstone national park. tom takes us there right after this. any last requests mr. baldwin? do you mind grabbing my phone and opening the capital one purchase eraser? i need to redeem some venture miles before my demise. okay. it's easy to erase any recent travel expense i want. just pick that flight right there. mmm hmmm. give it a few taps, and...it's taken care of. this is pretty easy, and i see it works on hotels too. you bet. now if you like that, press the red button on top. ♪ how did he not see that coming? what's in your wallet? a blt with best foods is the best.

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it is all of that and so much more. 2 million acres of nature's wonders. i first came here when i was just 10 years old, and i've been coming back ever since. now i'd like to show you my yellowstone, beyond old faithful. it is called the park, but it's really a vast wilderness of wildlife, mountains, canyons, and valleys, forests, lakes, rivers, waterfalls. and beneath it all, a great furnace, the molten remains of a gigantic volcano still smoldering more than 2 million years after it erupted. a still active volcano, but not a dangerous one. i've got property about 40 miles from here. should i lose sleep at night? >> no. the last time there was a volcanic eruption in yellowstone was before people inhabited north america. >> reporter: above and below ground, nature is constantly renewing yellowstone. 25 years after the great fires,

new forests have taken hold. the spring brings new life to the permanent residents before the summer brings the cars, the motorcycles, the buses. highways make up about 2% of yellowstone national park, and unfortunately, most people spend most of their time on the highways because they can see a bison just off the side of the road. but if you really want to know this park, you've got to go there, into the back country, the american serengeti, the lamar valley. hike or ride among the sprawling herds of elk and bison. always be on the watch for the massive grizzly that prowl the back country. maybe, if you're lucky, you'll see a pack of the newest residents, wolves. the top of the food chain and the most controversial. they were reintroduced to the park in 1995. doug smith is the park biologist in charge of wolves. >> we brought back wolves with the idea that we wanted to

restore natural systems. how can you do that without natural predators? >> reporter: the yellowstone wolves, the call of the wild, a reminder this is not your ordinary park. >> such a beautiful place. you tell me a better way to start the fourth than tom brokaw telling you about yellowstone national park. >> i'm hoping my son was watching. that is beautiful. >> tom, thanks so much. coming up, the royal baby frenzy growing now in london, could be any day. we're live there this morning. first these messages. vo: traveling you definitely end up meeting a lot more people but a friend under water is something completely different. i met a turtle friend today so, you don't get that very often. it seemed like it was more than happy to have us in his home. so beautiful.

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we head to the beach. we have barbecues. we watch some fireworks. americans have a lot of ways to celebrate the fourth. we thought we'd share some of ours. kate, what are you doing? >> when i grew up in albany, new york, we used to go to fireworks over the egg, people know what i'm talking about, the capitol of new york. now we celebrate on long island sound on the water, i have two kids 7 and 10. that's me as a kid, right in the middle there. that's a nice haircut, right? oh, god, that one's bad. that's me on the right. let's show my own kids. >> no, let's linger on those. >> that's my daughter and her friend katie. we watch on the beach. it's so fun, just a great night.

good old fashioned -- my son digs a hole in the sand to put his little blanket. beautiful stuff. >> that's america right there. my childhood memories are almost exactly the same as yours. i grew up in new jersey. there was a big place in richards, new jersey, called veterans field. everyone would lay out a blanket, look up at the sky, and wait for it to get dark. just a great community experience. >> i was just a little south of you guys growing up in baltimore. >> there's my embarrassing childhood photo. >> that's not so bad. >> there's my little sister. that's an updated. >> good looking group. like i was saying, i grew up in baltimore. what we'd do as kids, we had bike parades in the neighborhood. my sister and i would decorate the bikes. >> red, white, and blue. >> that's me in a tank top. >> oh, look at the bikes. that's so cute. >> that was us as kids. now as family, we go away on a vacation normally at this time, but work calls this time so i can't be there. i wore it in honor of my

grandfather. july 4th reminds me of granddads. i wore the cuff link of one granddad. the grandfather will always flip you the sparkler or the firecrackers. >> that's your entry into fireworks. perhaps you're going to indulge in an adult beverage today. coming up on trending, what your choice of beer may reveal about you. >> also, the duchess of cambridge known for her style. what do we expect from the future king or queen due any day now? maybe after you throw a few back, you'll want to go p sshopg for a good deal. the 4th of july sales you can't miss, you want to take advantage of. first, your local news. ♪

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good morning to you. happy fourth of july. 7:56. the man accused of killing two wing stop employees in oakland earlier this week will face charges tomorrow. police say jermaine is being held without bail. he and another man allegedly entered the wing stop late thursday might when there was an encounter with someone. he and another man ran to the back of the restaurant and hid in a freezer when two employees went to investigate, they were shot to death. police say that they are still looking for the second man but will not say if he's a suspect. california's biggest junior college faces an uncertain future this morning. city college in san francisco will lose its accreditation in july of next year. accrediting commission says they did not do enough to fix financial and educational deficiencies. school will appeal the decision. the campus will remain open and acredited at least for now.

check of the forecast and meteorologist christina loren. >> good morning to you. not what people are expecting. on the fourth of july. look at all these thunderstorms and these came lou. north bay earlier this morning. look at this strong cell. i'm track thing one right now on the east shore. it is right over 880 this morning. 1 minutes away from union city and 47 minutes away from dublin. showers and thunderstorms as we head throughout the day. in addition to that it will be hot out will. 102 degrees. 87 today in fremont and 93 degrees down in gilroy. this is the last day of triple digit heat. the good news is once that sun starts to drop off because it is going to be warm out there, temperatures will be downright mild for tonight's fourth of july fireworks display. by the weekend, mice and comfortable. back to average for this time of year. back to you. >> that sounds terrific. thanks so much. thank you for joining us. another local news update coming up in a half hour. the thing is bee,

i got my mom wrapped around my little finger. do you? yeah, i do. huh. i said i want honey nut cheerios uh huh. and she just totally caved. it's all about psychology buzz. psychology? as long as i don't tell him the cereal is healthy -- he can't get enough. sad, really. i kind of feel bad that i tricked him. but...it was easy. surprise... uh, ha ha ha. ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ back now at 8:00 on this

thursday morning, it is the 4th of july, 2013. a fitting start to the holiday this morning. we are always excited to have with us on this day the united states air force ceremonial brass, back with us for the 15th time. we'll hear much more from them throughout the morning. also on the plaza tomorrow, a little bit more music as john mayer joins us for our summer concert series. good morning. >> that will get you in the mood, though, this morning. >> absolutely. that's the best way to start. i'm willie geist along with kate snow. matt and savannah have the morning off. >> coming up on trending, you know what a rube goldberg machine is with a domino effect? maybe you've seen one of those before. but look at this one, it's made with dogs. that couldn't be cuter. also, before she got engaged, the duchess of came brinl was known, i'm told, as weighty katie. now the world and fashionistas are waiting for her to deliver

the future king and queen. we'll get the buzz from london. there are also a whole lot of sales if you're in the mind to shop today. we've got big buys, good bargains coming up on all kinds of things to get you through the holiday weekend, entertaining and all that. >> first we'll go inside to thomas roberts in for natalie with the headlines. >> good morning, everybody. we want to start and fill you in on this amazing story we've been following the last 48 hours with this intense power struggle in egypt. it's testing the country's democracy. the military has appointed a new president. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel is covering this story in cairo. richard, explain the fears about who this new president is and about those who were opposing the former president morsi and those who wanted to see him stay in power and the fears that something may turn violent. >> reporter: the main concern about the new president is that he's not going to be powerful enough, that he might just be a fig leaf for the military.

that is one concern because this was a chief justice. he was a judge, not a well-known figure, someone who was sort of brought into this process at the last minute to be a transitional leader until there are new elections. we don't exactly know when those new elections are going to be. so there is a concern that he could just be a stop gap and allow the military to run this country and to potentially crack down on the muslim brotherhood. in terms of the fears of violence, in the short term, there are deep concerns, particularly by the u.s. embassy, that there could be reprisal attacks, revenge attacks, either by muslim brotherhood supporters or even more islamic extremists who feel they have been excluded from the process and they have been unduly thrown out of power. so far, the u.s. embassy is taking such precautions that it has told all nonessential staff and their families to leave the country and is even advising american citizens here in egypt to leave the country. so far today, it has been quiet.

>> richard engel reporting from cairo for us. richard, thank you. back here at home, rescuers were able to save 2 of 3 wisconsin men who were aboard a tug boat that capsized wednesday near a dam in eastern minnesota. officials say the boat lost power and was swept through the gates of the dam. the victim was found inside the vessel wearing his life jacket. a utility company says there was nothing wrong with the tree that fell over and killed a counselor on wednesday at a private summer camp near yosemite national park. four other counselors were injured, but no children were hurt. the utility company was responsible for inspecting that tree because it stood near power lines. rapper and actor 50 cent is due in court this month to face vandalism and domestic violence charges. police say he trashed the l.a. condo of a woman who had a baby with him. the woman also said she was injured when 50 cent kicked in her bedroom door during an incident that happened in the apartment last month. police broke up a massive brawl last night outside a

soccer stadium in las vegas. officials say the violence started when buses dropped off fans of rival teams in the same parking lot, where they fought with rocks and bottles. at least six people were hurt. scuffles continued inside the stadium during that game as well. eight boaters, including two american teens, were rescued by the u.s. coast guard on wednesday. in this coast guard video, you can see the boaters waving frantically for help. the boat had been lost at sea off the coast of honduras for four days. all eight passengers were hoisted into a helicopter and then flown off to safety. take a look at this because they are dramatic pictures out of ohio this morning, where a sinkhole swallowed up a car while it was traveling down a busy street. as we look at this, officials say the sinkhole was at least ten feet deep. rescuers lowered a ladder down so the driver could climb out. she wasn't seriously hurt. and then used a crane to pull the car out. it is here, the annual hot dog eating contest is taking place today at new york's coney island, even as crews work to

remove part of an old observation tower that's been swaying dangerously. concerns about this 275-foot astro tower forced officials to close several nearby attractions, including the famous cyclone roller coaster. grandfather to be prince charles burnished his pop culture credentials touring the studio where the bbc's "dr. who" is filmed. he even used a voice monitor to imitate one of the show's extraterrestrials. >> exterminate me. exterminate me. >> prince charles, a good sport there. he has long been a fan of that show since he was 15 years old, apparently. it's six minutes back to the hour. we send it back to the plaza with willie and gate. >> boyhood dreams come true, even for prince charles. >> that's one way to wait for a grandson or granddaughter. >> want to get a look at the weather with maria la rosa down

on the plaza. >> good morning. the statue of liberty opening up for the first time since sandy. these ladies have to be the second best statue of liberties here. where are you from? >> we're from kauai, hawaii. >> welcome to our city. today's pick city, lake worth, florida. chance of showers and 80 degrees, but they're celebrating 100 years. they call themselves the start of the tropics because they're the northernmost point of the subtropics, and it feels tropical. look at all that moisture headed up into florida. dangerous weather and flooding possible there. we'll watch spotty showers across the west. for the most part, the sizzling heat continues. fireworks a ris 8:07, fourth of july. good morning to you. look at all these natural fireworks, lightning strikes up in the north bail. and look at this cell. i have been monitoring this for the past 15 minutes. right now, it is located right

over the eastshore where 84 and 880 come together. travel cautiously. you see this red and yellow embedded in green. that is some heavy rainfall coming through. head throughout the day, see more of that activity and hot temperatures, 102 in livermore today. last day of the triple digits, by tomorrow, 88 degrees. >> and that's a look at your weather. kate, willie, back to you. >> maria, thank you very much. coming up next on trending, it's the hot new instagram account. everybody's talking about items confiscated from planes. would you believe grenades? also ahead, the royal baby. the hoopla surrounding the waiting game there, getting more intense by the day. we'll check in in london. we've got hot picks for the holiday weekend, from movies to music and a whole lot more. first these messages. hershey's s'mores.

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back now, 8:11, when what's trending, trending on instagram, sharpening its image. the tsa has launched a new account sharing outrageous items they've confiscated from our fellow flyers. a few folks apparently thought a bayonet, a throwing knife, a dagger, and, yes, a grenade would get back the tsa screeners. >> serious three is. >> somebody else thought they could bring a loaded handgun in

their carry-on bag. what would you guess this is? a stun gun disguised as a pack of cigarettes. >> it's not there yet. where is the picture? it looks like a pack of cigarettes -- >> see the next one. let's see the pack of cigarettes. no. it's another gun. and what would the 4th of july be without fireworks. as the agency wrote, "fireworks don't fly." security officials have noted a 30% increase in the number of passengers trying to board planes with guns. my question is two parts. first, who owns a grenade. personal -- personal grenades? personal grenades? two, who tries to bring it on an airplane? commercial flight? >> forgot i had that grenade in my bag, sorry. >> the tsa is not stopping and instagramming while the lines are going on. hey, willie -- >> no. >> take a shot of this. >> no. >> the public relations department. okay. trending on "the new york times'" web site, the man who changed our lives -- we didn't know his name. if you're sitting at a computer, thank douglas englebart for the

mouse in your hand, right? he got the idea for this in 1964 at a time when computer were these huge machines that took up an entire room. four years later he publicly showcased this mouse. look at this thing. >> that's the mouse. >> in a presentation that became to be known as the mother of all demos, 14 years before ibm's personal computers. 15 years before the mac was even invented. the invert and world war ii vet proved the skeptics wrong. obviously the mouse became essential to all of us. englebart died in his sleep in california. he was 88. >> a co-parent of giving us carpel tunnel. >> don't go negative on me, man. he changed our lives. >> he d. speaking of going negative, trending today, bad manners. the "huffington post" talking about a bride and one of the sites for sharing a letter she received from a bride that wasn't too thrilled with her gift. it was $100. in the facebook message the bride writes, "i want to know is there any reason or dissatisfaction of mike's and i

wedding that both you and phil each gave $50?" as a result, we were very much short on paying off the reception because just for the cocktail plus reception alone, the plate per person is $200. when it comes to your wedding, hopefully you'll know what i mean. what we receive is what we give back." wow. >> she's giving it. you're not supposed to complain about a wedding gift, are you? >> you got a gift. no, i'm a newlywed, and there are certain people -- you know who you are -- who did not give me a gift. >> don't we have it -- >> no. you know them. you know them. >> a little -- it's not -- bad form. >> i'd be grateful for anything. it's nice that people take the time out of their busy lives to come and show up and have to travel with you. there's expense that goes with that. it's nice that they showed up and gave something. >> $100, nice -- >> it's hard times, they don't have a lot of money now. they did the best they could. >> they had to travel for this. take that into account.

>> trending on youtube. four word -- puppies in a wagon. need we say more? ♪ >> come on. this ad from the beneful dog food company showing canines trying their paws at the rube goldburg machine, racking up thousands of hits on line. the shoots led to a very long day. that thing about working with animals. it was worth it. come on, what's not to love? puppies in a wagon. could watch that all day. >> yeah. i wonder how many takes it took. yeah. trending on today.com, how much beer does your state drink? just in time for july 4th, a survey estimates nearly 100 million of us will be drinking beer responsibly this independence day. where does your state stack up? montana guzzles enough to earn third place right behind new hampshire. the top beer-drinking state is

north dakota. >> of course. >> north dakota. the real surprise, though, is who drinks the least. those who live in the tri-state area, new york, new jersey, and connecticut. literally mean it when we say bottoms up. probably no surprise that utah is the driest of the 50 states. >> we're at the bottom, tri-state area. >> i'm surprised based on my small sample set of friends that we're not -- >> doesn't make sense. >> i'm the designated co-host. i'm going to stay in charge of the desk. you guys are going to taste this. >> okay. >> see which you like. willie, you notice the glasses make for a different tasting beer, right? >> i think that's true. this is more of a pilsner glass -- >> i went dark. >> that's america in a glass, budweiser. >> this is american but microbrew. i love it. i'm a fan. >> are you going to take the mug? >> this is just the plain old -- this is budweiser, right? the. >> this is the bud? >> what does your beer say about

you, right? apparently there's a survey that says there's -- you can actually -- i don't know if this is real or not. but light beer drinkers -- >> prefer a more full-flavored beer, keep drinking, you may be sensible androunded but quick to challenge authority as well as politically moderate. folks that are more particular about their beers, the craft beer drinkers -- >> me. right. >> i believe is that one, right? they are extrovert who are advent rouse and intellectually curious and politically more liberal. >> okay. >> if you do abstain, you're probably respectful of tradition, you see issue in black and white, and you're probably politically conservative. >> that's you. respectful of tradition. >> they nailed -- a designated thing. we'll have a chugging contest in the break, though. >> i don't like to say too much about what it says about me. i just like to see the bottom of the glass at the end of it. that is what is trending today. ahead in the 8:00 block, the royal baby frenzy. will the new heir to the throne become an instant fashion icon like his or her mom?

your guide to the 4th of july sales. you're not going to want to miss that. monticello, thomas jefferson's home, has now been added to google's street view. later this morning, the famous estate will host a ceremony to welcome some of the newest citizens. peter alexander has some of their stories for us. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. happy 4th of july from here in the nation's capital. the immigration debate has galvanized a lot of attention across the country now. for a moment we wanted a chance to welcome some of the newest americans, new citizens being naturalized. 7,800 in independence day celebrations from bagram air field to thomas jefferson's home in virginia. ♪ >> reporter: for new americans -- four new americans from four corners of the globe. >> i'm jasmine, i'm at american. >> i'm tim, i'm an american. >> i'm salya, i'm an american. >> i'm hiromi, and i'm an american. >> reporter: at her studio?

charlottesville, virginia, hiromi johnson teaches tai chi, a tradition from her far-away home. >> i was raised in fukushima. >> reporter: the coastal japanese city was erased from the map when a wave of water tore through two years ago. america is now hiromi's only home. >> i felt like i lost my ancestral place because fukushima raised me. >> reporter: a writer and professor, jasmine darsmick was born in iran. her family ripped from her home when she was just 5. starting anew in california, but always mindful of their iranian past. >> every year we hoped we could go back. we left, of course, because of the revolution. [ chanting ] >> reporter: three decades later, a new generation, revolutions in the middle east, inspired jasmine to become a u.s. citizen. >> i have such a keen send of the struggles -- keen sense of the struggles people around the world endure to acquire human rights, social justice. and it seemed to me important to acquire a public voice in

america. >> reporter: filmmaker soledad liando from argentina wanted the right to vote in her adopted country. >> elections were like, okay, i need to be part of this. >> wow, that's really impressive. >> reporter: to cancer researcher tim bolick of great britain, it offered something similar. >> my children say, "why aren't you an american, dad" and i'm like, "i can't answer that anymore." >> reporter: the back drop for the ceremony, monticello. home of thomas jefferson. for soledad, the perfect choice. >> i think the same feeling of a little girl having her dream of having a big wedding. >> reporter: their diverse histories united this 4th of july. new americans ready to embrace their role as citizens in whatever form that may take. >> jury duty. >> reporter: jury duty, a sense of humor also doesn't hurt, by the way. they'll have a great opening act during the naturalization

ceremony at monticello. dave matthews, himself a naturalized citizen in 1980, will be the keynote speaker. have a great 4th of july, guys. >> thank you very much. happy 4th to you. the arrival of the royal baby could come any day now. >> people starting to talk about the fashion choices that will be made for the future king or queen. we have more from london. michelle, good morning. >> reporter: hi, guys. this will be the first british royal birth to be endlessly tweeted about. this could be the first future king or queen to wear baby gap. many people feel that kate is bound to modernize royal motherhood like never before. we've all watched kate turn even her pregnancy into a colorful, conservative, modern statement that has brits calling her the fashionista of the people. >> you see her in peter pan collars, big buttons, broaches. and i think that's something that can translate into the hierarchy easily. she's a dream. >> i think if you compare kate's pregnancy wear with princess

diana's, she was wearing smocks. huge smocks with -- i remember great, big, white sort of peter pan on steroids necklines. kate's looked pretty great actually. it's princess pregnancy. >> reporter: next, royal motherhood. the world eager to see how kate will normalize royal baby hood. something princess diana started, dressing adorable william and harry in caps and jeans. just not done before then. check out prince charles in a tailored toddler double-breasted coat, a sort of baby fedora. before his time, things were even more ornate. embroidery and severe looking little shoes for queen victoria's kids. there's a very royal mini me. and imagine your toddler running around the garden in this. might as well dress up the puppy, too. for royal children and babies, the clothes were beautiful back then. william and harry were considered to be among the last aristokids to wear handmade smocked rompers and fussy gear.

now kate who regularly wears $50 dresses she got on sale may make a statement with her future king or queen. towing a line between regal and normal. and today, the royal court watching watching is the entire world. it is possible, too, that the child will spend its first weeks not in a royal palace but in the middleton family home. by many standards, that is a palace. also reportedly william and kate so far have not hired any nanny. kate? >> okay, michelle kosinski, thanks. before you head out for festivities today on 4th of july, you might want to go shop, hit up the sales. we have janice lieberman, consumer expert with us on the plaza. good morning. happy 4th. >> same to you. >> you've got great bargains on a day i wouldn't think about as a shopping day. >> yeah. dealnews.com telling me this is a great time. it's four days long. starts on a thursday, goes through sunday. big weekend for shopping. if you haven't gotten a grill, great day to get it. >> i'm in the market for a grill actually. >> okay.

this is from sears. $270, four burners, stainless steel. if you're not going to do the gas grill, char sinkhole on sale from home depot. you can -- charcoal is on sale from home depot. you can get that for a great deal. are you also in the market for this -- >> nice. where's this from? >> target.com. it went from $500 to $300. cafe set. very cute. >> it is very cute. like that. now food -- >> i love these. these are 60% off. this is an indirect smoker. you can -- >> for the sglil. >> yeah, for the grill. this is a decanter. also $30. $9 for a stuffed vegetable cart. you know, even if you don't want it for yourself, they're great housewarming gifts. >> nice for the summer party. nice. >> very different and cool. you made it to have the right garb and you could fit into one of these just fine. >> that would not be a good idea. trust me. two kids. >> cover-up. these are from macy's. they're up to 50% off.

the towels also $20. big name designers, martha stewart -- >> great timing. summer's just getting into swing and stuff's already on sale. sandals, as well? >> we can't forget about the men. this is oldnavy.com. >> this looks like willie to me here. the flowered pants -- >> everything at old navy online, 30% off. i stocked up on stuff for my kids for school. >> perfect. >> kohl's.com, up to 50% off sandals. all good stuff. even if you're going to save it for maybe possibly a trip in december, buy up now. >> how much did you say off? >> 50. >> 50%. >> isn't that great? the. >> and electronics quickly? >> you wouldn't think so, but electronics -- this is the cutest little nikkon, $200. laptops on sale. and apple, if you register with bestbuy.com and you're a student, you get $100 off. apple never goes on sale. this is a great smart tv for $1,300 for samsung. 60 is the new 42. i'm told.

>> happy 4th to you. >> thank you, darling. >> thank you. we're back after the local news. stay with us. happy fourth of july. good morning, everybody. the time now is 8:26. i'm jon kelley. b.a.r.t. workers on strike for a fourth straight day. b.a.r.t. did meet with union negotiators for another round of talks yesterday. went to about 11:00 last night. still no deal. they will be meeting again today, making this a working holiday, meeting at 11 a.m. this morning. and in between, sparking up the barbecue out back. christina loren was busy looking at the forecast. how are you doing? >> natural fireworks this morning, jon. good morning to you. i'm tracking this really strong area, it's a thunderstorm cell, all racing toward dublin, the next 15 minutes. yeah, count on slick conditions on 880 where it meets 84 and that will be the case as we head throughout the next i'd say half hour, hour, then we should start to dry out. but we are going to see these

pop-up thunderstorms all day long in addition to that. later on, we accumulate that daytime heating it will be hot, expect morgue of the mountain thunderstorms, some could be strong. keep you updated all day here on nbc bay area. 102 in livermore, 87, fremont, 77 in san francisco. the good news, john is that most of that activity is going to clear out of here just in time for the fireworks. 9 p.m., mostly clear, greater bay area. >> sounds like perfection to me, christina. please go out and have a safe one. another update in one half hour. the "today" show rolls on. ♪

we don't have a ten step filtering process for our water. we don't need it. because crystal geyser is made by nature, not by man. crystal geyser is always bottled at the mountain source.

♪

8:30 now on this thursday morning, july 4th. happy independence day. >> happy independence day to you too. >> i should say the u.s. air force ceremonial brass is the group. >> correct. >> wonderful. gets you in the mood. >> colonel, this has been a tradition for us at the "today" show. we love having you here. it's been 15 years we've enjoyed you. >> we love being here. this is just part of the band. there's a 180-member band from washington, d.c. we brought our best today, the ceremonial brass, and we're so happy to celebrate independence day with you. >> for people who haven't seen the brass before, what is the role in the military? >> their primary role, and we're so proud of them, is honoring our fallen at arlington cemetery. these guys do over 800 missions there a year. of course, we're also part of the inaugural festivities, which just happened. all of the big ceremonies that you see in washington, d.c., these guys are right there. >> you have a big day today. you go back to washington, right? >> we do. we have a big concert tonight to celebrate the 4th. it's the air force memorial.

>> last night you guys were taking in a little baseball, i understand? >> we had a great time. we were at the mets game. >> a little delayed by the rain, though. >> it was, but that's okay. we had 38,000 really enthusiastic, patriotic fans. >> that's fantastic. >> colonel larry lang, we are always so honored to have you and the united states ceremonial brass with us. good luck tonight at the concert. >> can i present something? >> you can. >> this is our air force cap. this is for you, kate, and willie. thank you so much for your support over the years. we appreciate you so much. >> happy 4th to you. >> i'm kate snow along with willie geist and thomas roberts on this holiday celebrating here. >> we've got a lot coming up this half hour, including sunny anderson way down on the plaza. she's going to help with last minute grilling on the 4th of july, firing up some ribs. we can't wait for that. >> that's right, willie. >> i had to put my hat on so i

could deal with this because it's not warm enough outside for all of us. let me put my hat on. coming up too, the holiday wrap of the hottest new films. what's coming out this summer? a lot of people may be heading to the movie theaters today where it's nice and cool on the inside. the justin timberlake's new video that's raising new eyebrows. and how your favorite stars are spending their holiday. first let's get a check of the weather. maria la rosa on the other end of the plaza. >> good morning. i think we have the best spot on the plaza. do you smell how good that food smells? >> it smells delicious. >> happy 4th if you're hanging out here. if you're going to be barbecuing and then maybe heading to the macy's fireworks, here's what we're expecting from the forecast. incredibly humid. temperatures about 80 degrees in new york for the beautiful macy's fireworks. a chance for showers and thunderstorms, heavy rain from the ohio valley to the gulf coast. dangerous flooding potential there. remaining hot in through the central u.s. and the southwest. a slight risk for severe weather

and through the northern plains today. as we get saturday into sunday, 8:34. you can tell it's a holiday because b.a.r.t.'s still on strike but we don't have any sort of a jam, the metering lights are off at the bay bridge toll plaza. see all the midlevel cloud cover, we have thunderstorms and showers coming down across parts of the bay area, look at this, robust cell, falling apart, san roman next five to ten minutes, watch out for that, look at the lightning earlier up in the north bay, fair game for more of that later on, especially over the east bay and south bay mountains, 88 by friday, much cooler weather on the way tomorrow. >> that's a look at the weather for you. let's send it back over to kate and willie. >> maria, thanks. maybe this 4th of july you want to take in a new movie, maybe listen to some music. >> and alicia joins us. looking good in red. >> we're representing. >> got the whole thing going. >> is i like it.

>> let's talk about this weekend. there's a new justin timberlake video out that's causing a stir. >> this is newly released. seven minutes on. it's a video for his hit single "tunnel vision." it's causing a stir because you can't really see it there, but all the women are naked. while justin is fully closed as well as timberlake, his producer. i can see people saying this is artistry. this is artistic. >> how come he doesn't have his clothes off? >> that's the big issue. people say it's going to hurt him, but "blurred lines" is the number one song in the issue. >> did you say timbaland was new in the video? >> no. timbaland is not nude in the video. he was clothed. >> he was in the video. >> the men wear clothing. >> there you go. the men are clothed. women aren't. another big story, e news breaking last night, kerry washington married, and none of

us knew about it. >> kerry wash, as our headline says, it's not a scandal, but it was a secret. kerry washington got married. my co-worker was the first to get the wedding certificate. she got married in idaho on june 24th. there he is there, his name is nam nnamdi asomugha. >> i'm a football fan. >> he plays for the 49ers. >> she's one of the smartest and nicest people in hollywood. very happy for her. >> other insights, movie stars. jamie foxx told me he's going to be hanging out with the family and his kids. i don't believe him. something leads me to believe that he'll be on a beach in miami. sandra bullock says she's going to teach her son louis to set off fireworks. and a road trip from niagara falls to florida with husband and kids. >> a good normal 4th of july. we talked to usher yesterday.

he was in the studio. he's curating the 4th of july fireworks. by that i mean, he's doing all the music but actually doing the fireworks of the there's one named for him. he's very involved. >> and he actually coordinated the fireworks to go with music. he has all kinds of music, kelly clarkson, jimmy hendricks, kanye. he said he wanted all music to be representative of the diversity of america, something for everyone. >> my kids cannot wait for despicable me 2, right? that's one of the big ones this weekend. >> your kids and everyone else. this is expected to bring over $100 million in over the next five days. first "despicable me" is one of the top ten grossing animated films of all time. >> it's already done big business overseas. it's going to be huge. how are we feeling about "the lone ranger"? some of the reviews haven't been great. >> the reviews have been really bad. if you go to rotten tomatoes, 23% approval by the critics. by the viewers, 73% approval.

parents are going to get really bored. they've got to take their kids somewhere. they're going to see "lone ranger" even if they're not good. >> alicia quarles with a look at the week ahead. coming up, how two brothers are breathing new life into the family business. and we'll fire up the grill for ribs with the great sunny anderson. first, this is "today" on nbc.

welcome back to "today" on this 4th of july morning. a beautiful, steamy day outside. if you're going offshore to celebrate the 4th, you're probably going to get into key food. for one american family, it's in their blood. nbc's erica hill has the story. >> this is a great story. full disclosure, i love this people. travis and ryan and their cousins are the fourth generation in their family to run the family's oyster business, an industry they got into for purely sentimental

reasons, but it's now one they're transforming one harvest at a time. sunrise on the rappahannock river. there's history in these waters and tradition. >> that's our father and grandfather. >> reporter: their great grandfather james kroxton sold the first oysters in 1899 to supplement his farming income, his son, their grandfather, eventually took over rappahannock oysters, but cautioned against it as disease and decline took hold. >> my grandfather rode the decline. it pretty much collapsed in 1980. he passed away in '91. >> reporter: for 20 years the croxton held onto the oyster beds but did little with them until 2001, when travis and ryan decided to take over. >> we're both super nostalgic about our grandfather and family. it was just romanticized for us.

we had no intention or realization we'd ever come to where we are right now. >> reporter: travis and ryan created their own crash course in oystering and aqua culture. raising and farming oysterses rather than just gathering what they found in the bay, a fundamental change in the business. less than two years later, they sold their first oysters to one of the country's top restaurants, new york's famed la bernardin. >> we had nothing to lose. we had day jobs. it wasn't like it was live or die. we felt like the best critic would be the best chefs. >> reporter: the chefs were smitten. well, it didn't seem like things could get much better after that first order. just over a decade later, top chefs now call them for oysters, and what started out as a sentimental hobby is now a full-time job. >> you began with one box and 300 oysters. now 100,000 a week? >> 100,000 a week. >> reporter: and how many boxes? a lot. >> that's a lot of boxes.

>> reporter: in addition to four oyster varieties, the croxton cousins also have three restaurants, including merrois, where you can watch them bring in the harvest right to your table. >> i never could have imagined this. if my father could have seen what's happening, he would be so proud. >> reporter: and they've become passionate advocates for the waters that have given their family so much. >> the water is one aberration much the more you eat, the more we have to plant. for every oyster you eat, that oyster consumes 50 to 60 gallons of water a day. >> reporter: fertilizing the bay and conserving this for the next generation. actually, travis and ryan have also been recycling oyster shells. they collect the used shells and put the larva or fat on those shells. for every shell they collect, they can grow a dozen oysters on one shell, and they're working on building more natural aids to bring them back to the bay. some oysters they harvest and

some do their job of filtering the water. >> i can see why you fell in love with that family. it's a great american story. happy 4th. we'll be right back with a tween making big headlines with her honesty. first this is "today" on nbc. [ female announcer ] when you asked us to remove high fructose corn syrup from yoplait original and light, we were like, "sure. no problem!" and you were like, "thanks, but what about thick & creamy and whips!" and we were like, "done and done! now it's out of everything yoplait makes." and you were all, "yum!" and we're like, "is it just us, or has this been a really good conversation?" and you were like, "i would talk, but my mouth is full of yogurt." yoplait. it is so good!

back now at 8:46 with a rising star in the music world, a 19-year-old who's developed legions of fans on social media thanks to her voice but also openness about a painful episode in her life. now she's landed a record deal. here's nbc's diana alviar. ♪ you made almost by your words lighter ♪ >> reporter: the moment you hear jasmine villegas sing, you know the mexican beauty's got that something special. ♪ i'm a normal girl

>> reporter: but to her millions of fans, the jasminators, she's a star. jasmine's videos have racked up a total of 85 million views on youtube. she has nearly 1.7 million followers on twitter. the 19-year-old has opened for justin bieber. so naturally talented, grammy winning producers are eager to work with her. >> for her to have the type of depth that she has at such a young age is impressive. >> reporter: she's been impressing industry insider since she was 11. that's how old she was when she was discovered singing on the sidewalk as she waited for her brother. what's it like to come back to the spot where you were discovered? >> being 11 and standing there and not knowing what's going to happen eight years later is pretty crazy. >> reporter: that led to her first record deal the day before she turned 12. >> it was crazy. it was like the biggest voice in the tiniest little body with the

biggest hair i've ever seen. >> the lakers, angels, dodgers, and i ended up singing. call me the national anthem queen. >> reporter: but her big break came when she starred in a little video by justin bieber. ♪ baby baby baby oh >> reporter: her growing fan base followed her every move, but jasmine was hiding from an abusive relationship with an ex-boyfriend. >> i used to have bruises, fat lips, everything. after a while the excuses add up. i couldn't take it anymore. >> reporter: jasmine poured her pain into a song. ♪ you never made it >> reporter: the day "didn't mean it" was released, calls to the national abuse hot line increased by 54%, and thousands of fans personally reached out to jasmine. >> like you gave me the courage to call the hot line, and i helped my mom get out of an abusive relationship.

>> reporter: since then, her music reflects the happiness she feels about what lies ahead. ♪ life only gets better >> reporter: jasmine's now working on her debut album. >> even though i'm not at the point where i want to be, i'm still working really hard at it. so it will pay off one day hopefully. >> reporter: already an idol to so many tweens, jasmine says she won't stop until everyone is a jasminator. for today, diana alvear, nbc news, los angeles. >> it will pay off, i'm pretty sure. up next, what would the 4th be without barbecue? >> a simple way to make those ribs. smoking out ther

she's already working. >> you can do this. we are revving up the grill for july 4th. it's not too late to learn how to make some ribs. >> absolutely. our good friend sunny anderson is here singing, dancing, cooking. host of "homemade in america" on the food network. >> happy july 4th to you. shout out to the united states air force ceremonial brass band. that was huge. i love to see that. yeah. so i'm going to kind of give you a mini tutorial on how to grill

at home. this is the exact grill i have at home. you don't need anything fancy. this is a really good bowl grill. the first thing you're going to do, if you're working with wood infusion, have you ever done that before? is >> yes. >> this is mesquite. you want to soak it so the wood lasts longer. 30 minutes, soak the chips. we're going to create an indirect heat environment right inside the grill. these are going to go on top of the colals once they get gray. this is kind of like an aroma you can taste. mesquite. a lot of people like hickory or pecan, as we say. >> push the wood to the side? >> to the side. the pan in the center, i'm going to put in water. the reason i'm putting in water is i'm putting in ribs. they've got a lot of connective tissue. we want them to barbecue in a very moist environment. we put the water in there and get the ribs on top, and you're good to go. >> salt and pepper on the ribs. >> salt and pepper on the ribs because i have a crazy barbecue sauce. two hours. you want to put a little salt

and pepper and let the ribs sit out two hours at room temperature, no longer than that, and get them onto the grill. >> get in there. >> how long are they going to grill for? >> these are going to grill two to three hours. you want the temperature on the inside to be about 180 degrees. at the beginning, don't do anything but cover them up. >> smells great already, by the way. >> barbecue sauce. >> it's the chips. >> it's the mesquite. it's really an aroma you can taste. i love it. i'm going to show you how to make the newest favorite out of my kitchen. strawberry jalapeno barbecue sauce. >> that sounds so good. >> sweet and fiery. onions, jalapeno, little bitf garlic, and two points ints of tomatoes, cherry tomatoes. cook them until they start to blister and mash them down. add the strawberries. >> isn't a little spicy with the jalapenos? >> leave the seeds too. i don't know why they get hated on so much. with jalapenos, you want the

spice. we cook the strawberries until they get mushy. break them down as well. add in brown sugar. >> i like it sweet. come on, willie. >> that's why i love you. >> a little bit of dijon mustard and add some apple cider vinegar. that's going to percolate like crazy. >> how long does that take to break down? >> about 10 to 15 minutes. it's really a fast process. at the end, get an immersion blender or pour it into your blender. the key to good ribs, what you don't want to do is put the barbecue sauce on too early because it will start to caramelize and burn. 30 minutes before you're ready to eat, come on in and slather them down. you know you're ready when the meat starts to pull away from the bone. these are baby back ribs. do you know where those are on the pig? >> no. >> willie, let me show you on your pig body really quick. >> wow, where are those baby backs? >> baby backs, turn around.

they're right here on the pig. it's usually like a hog that's about 270 pounds. how much do you weigh, willie? >> less than that, two-ish. >> the reason i like baby backs is because you can imagine with the rib space in the back has a lot more space. more meat in between them than, say, a spare rib. >> and they're nice and juicy. >> so give a try to that. >> all right if we do? is it okay if i dip? >> dip away, chew away. don't worry about the heat either. it kind of dissipates after you cook. there's a really easy side. you're doing it outside. this is bacon and scallion smashed potato salad. and very easy, a sugar cookie recipe i have on today.com. decorate them. have fun with the kids, and enjoy your 4th of july. you like it? >> it's a great spread. that's sweet but also got a little punch. >> that's what i'm here for. a little mma. >> next time don't talk about how much i weigh. >> sorry. we love you. >> happy 4th. >> happy 4th of july to you too.

coming up, when is it okay to save a beach chair for a friend or how long? it is 8:56. happy fourth of july, everybody >> i'm jon kelley. half an hour from now you san jose's very own joey "the jaws" chestnut trying to defend his title at the nathan's hot dog eating championship. you see him weighing in yesterday, 210 pounds, scoffing at the competition. for the record, he is the six-time defending champ. go threat get them, joey. america's cup starts today,

opening ceremony at 3:00. all starts with the ribbon cutting ceremony at the gate of the all new america's cup park located on the embarcaderembarc later on the day, sailors of all four teams competing will be introduced to rating fans out at the new pavilion. friday, the sail bloat go out on the water in a parade led by the san francisco fire department boats and racial starts on -- you're a talking bee... honey nut cheerios has whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol. and it tastes good? sure does! right... tarts on -- ♪ wow. delicious, right? yeah. it's the honey, it makes it taste so... ♪ well, would you look at the time... what's the rush? be happy. be healthy.

[ roars ] ♪ ♪ [ roars ] ♪ [ roars ] ♪ [ male announcer ] universal studios summer of survival. ♪

♪ go back to our set. >> it's thursday. here we go. >> welcome to "today" on this throwback thursday morning. it's the 4th of july, 2013. happy independence day. i'm willie geist, along with my very special cohost today, you might have heard from the music, "america's got talent" judge pawing at me and spice girl medicmel b. thanks for doing this. >> is thanks for having me. >> get tired of hearing that song? >> no, we wrote it. we publish it. keep it coming. >> you hear the cash register. >> that's right. >> at the moment mel b., aka

scary spice, a busy judge on "america's got talent" with howard stern, heidi klum, howie mandel. how did this come about? it's introduced you to a whole new generation of americans. >> i don't know how it happened. i'm very thankful i got offered the job. i was living in australia at the time. i thought, you know what, what a great way to get back into l.a. >> do you ever watch some of those people and just completely roll your eyes and say how the hell did you get on this show? >> yes, i do a lot. >> does it happen a lot? >> i think we have a clip of one. it's had 11.5 million hits. it's a young singer who gives a wild performance. >> oh, mied god, the young girl. >> my name is ellen, and i am 6 years old. when we go out, we'll be proud and not be nervous. ♪

♪ >> scary spice is officially scared. >> i mean, where did that come from? >> i was terrified. >> death metal from the belly of a babe. >> and she looked so sweet and innocent also. crazy, right? >> she did, but she's possesseded by tpossessed by the devil, as it turns out. >> stop. that's why i love "america's got talent." you see everything and anything. >> since you're a bona fide judge, we trust you on everything. want to give you another clip that's popular now and get your review. this is big online. tell us, is this a talent? >> let me see. ♪ [ dogs howling ] ♪

>> is that something? >> there's no melody. it's just a howl. there is no melody whatsoever. >> she's getting technical with dogs. there's no melody, very pitchy. that was nothing? >> that was definitely not that good. >> they get the early hook if they come out on the stage. >> they get booted off. >> they're gone instantly? >> gone. >> i have another question. on the spice girls, when you first get into the room and they're siassigning the name -- you're sporty, you're posh, you're scary. did you want to be posh? how did that work? >> no, it was a teeny bopper name that named us all, and it stuck. i quite like the name, scary. >> i don't find you scary. i find you appealing and lovely. >> is you caught me on a good day. that's why. >> you're scary? >> ask my husband. he would say i'm definitely scary. >> is he here? >> yes, in bed. >> oh, he's in bed?

>> yes. >> you are a busy mother. you've got a 14-year-old, a 6-year-old, a daughter madison who's not quite yet 2. >> no, she's 1 1/2. >> keeps you a little crazy, doesn't it? >> but kids are the life and soul of everything when it comes to my life. yeah, they're just adorable, absolutely adorable. and they tell you if you're not looking right or if you say something wrong. >> is that right? >> oh, they tell you. they deliver. >> they're harsh critics. you put on an outfit, and they're like that's not working. >> i'm interested in what they're going to say about this today. >> you listen to your kids. you take it to heart and go change? >> kids are very honest. >> they are. it's a bit of a coincidence or ironic moment to have you here on independence day since this is when we separated from our good friends in great britain earlier in 1776. she said, i probably shouldn't say happy 4th of july. that wouldn't be good coming from me. we've got a bit of a quiz for you, a patriotic quit.

firs up, how many hot dogs will americans eat over the july 4th holiday this year? a, 1 million. b, 10 million. or, c, 150 million hot dogs. >> i'm going to go with b, 10 million. >> that's incorrect. it's 150 million hot dogs according to the national hot dog and sausage council, which exists apparently. >> i love a hot dog. >> it's a good treat. speaking of food, americans can thank england for one of the usa's favorite dishes. is it, a, french fries. b, apple pie. c, the hamburger. >> it can't be apple pie because we say we're as american as apple pie. is that what you're going to say? >> yeah. is that incorrect? >> trick question. it is apple pie. in english, apple pie appears in a 1381 cookbook with the ingredients of good apples, spices, raisins, figs, and pears. we have this thing where we say american as apple pie. apparently, it's as english as

apple pie. last one. which city hosts the nation's largest fireworks display? new york city. washington, d.c. or honolulu, hawaii. >> i'm going with c, honolulu. >> is i'm afraid it's new york city, right here. >> really? >> the macy's 4th of july. >> macy's. that's what my hair dresser was saying earlier. >> and usher is doing all the music, coordinating everything. >> i love him. >> it's going to be great. our next topic, horrible band names. and we don't bring this up because you're here. the spice girls is a wonderful name. >> you say that. >> fantastic. let's go with how the spice girls got their name. >> i have to say it was jared who actually thought of that name. i would like to take all the credit, but i can't. >> where does it come from? what does it mean? is >> i think because we're all different, like the spice of life. >> "rolling stone" magazine listed the 13 dumbest band names in history. spice girls did not make the

list. you're safe. you know who did make the list? the beatles. >> the beatles is a cool name. >> it's a play on words. it's the beat, b-e-a-t, on the beatles. but they get a pass because they're such a great band. you don't stop and think about how silly the name is. >> i don't think it's silly the aall. beatles, i think it's cool. >> there's a whole genre of artists who get the past. eminem, right? red hot chili peppers. >> when you say it like that. it's so corporate. now i agree with you. >> but they're great bands. so you give them the pass. how about nickelback, limp biskit, hoobestank. >> limp biskit is a little bit odd. >> terrible. do you have any strange ones? >> the more strange it is, the more cool it is. the i think different to you. >> let's look at some lyrics then because apparently band lyrics are being used as pickup

lines by some people. >> i heard about this. >> there's a video online for a few days. got more than a million views. stars a british guy caspar lee trying to woo women using the lyrics of one direction. >> i heard this. >> hey, girl. >> oh, god. >> i'm waiting on you. i'm waiting on you. >> oh, really? >> hey. i just want to take you anywhere you'd like. we can go out any day any night. baby, i'll take you. i'll take you there. baby, i'll take you there. yeah, yeah, yeah. you're insecure, but i don't know what for. you're turning heads as you walk through the door. you need no makeup. >> when you deliver the line like that, it's not going to work. >> that is hilarious. baby, yeah, yeah, yeah. >> is one d big in your house,

by the way? >> with my 6-year-old. not so much my 14-year-old. >> huge. we've got a poster of zane in the bedroom, the whole thing. >> oh, no, i don't go that far. >> i don't have the poster. let me clarify. my daughter has the poster of zane. >> you allow it. >> here's the deal. i'm going to try spice girls pickup lines. >> go on, do it. >> you know, mel, if you want my future, forget my past. >> i will. >> if you want to get with me, you'd better make it fast. >> lax. that's the wrong lyric. >> like i said, last. don't go away soon, mel, my precious time. >> i won't. >> get your act together, and i think we'll be just fine. >> you know what, i'm done. i'm sold. >> you're in? >> i'm in way deep. >> it's just that simple. we've got a busy morning planned with mel. she's going to be with us all morning. >> you're funny. >> before we do that -- >> he's funny, right? borderline funny. >> eh. let's get a check of the weather from the weather channel's maria

la rosa. she's in for al. outside in the sweltering heat. maria, good morning. definitely high humidity out here. a great crowd gathered here. it's an early birthday for you? >> yes. july 5th is my birthday. >> happy birthday. i'm glad you're here to spend it with us on the "today" show plaza. the rain is holding off in new york city, most of the i-95 corridor, in fact. however, not the case as you head up the gulf coast clear up into the ohio valley. that's where flash flooding is the biggest threat today. people have already picked up more than a foot of rainfall. we're looking at an additional next three to four inches from apalachicola into chattanooga. looks great through the midsection. as we get into the southwest, 9:10 now, still tracking showers and thunderstorms this fourth of july. look at this cell right now located over san ramon, headed toward antioch, discovery bay the next 15 minutes. noticing a little bit of action

now on hayward side of the eastshore, so, yeah, as we can see, your going to continue to see these isolated thunderstorms, expecting more of the action as we head throughout the day, the local mountains, quite a few thunderstorms expected later on today, 4 opinion, the western-facing slopes surrounding san jose, 102 degrees, still hot in livermore. >> getting a nice visit from my family, my mom, sister-in-law, nephew, brother. from my family to yours, happy 4th of july. up next, what if you invited guests to stay at your house for a week this summer and they brought along the dog without asking you? what do you do? >> that's a bit rude. >> it is a bit rude. i guess we've answered that question. we'll have other answers to sticky social situations right after this. kaufman. married to morty kaufman. [ lee ] now that i'm getting older some things are harder to do. this is not a safe thing to do. be careful babe. there should be some way to make it easier [ doorbell rings ] let's open it up and see wh's cookin'. oh i like that. look at this it's got a handle on it. i don't have to climb up.

this yellow part up here really catches a lot of the dust. did you notice how clean it looks? morty are you listening? morty? [ morty ] i'm listening! i want you to know [ ding! ] losing your chex mix too easily? time to deploy the boring-popcorn decoy bucket. then no one will want to steal the deliciousness. with a variety of tastes and textures only chex mix is a bag of interesting. you ate the bones. nobody ate any bones. well he's breathing on me. [ male announcer ] it's kfc original recipe without the bones white or dark meat boneless and skinless try a 10 piece mixed bucket for just $14.99. white or dark meat boneless and skinless backflips and cartwheels.mile? love, warmth. here, try this. mmmm, ok! ching! i like the fact that there's lots of different tastes going on. mmmm! breakfast i'm very impressed. this is a great cereal! honey bunches of oats. i hear you crunching. to your kids' wet skin. neutrogena® wet skin kids.

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don't punish yourself, it's my fault.over. of course it's your fault and i'm not punishing myself. i'm having dannon oikos zero per cent fat yogurt; twice the protein of regular low fat yogurt. that's what makes it so thick, rich. oh,.. this is kate... already? my sister... and that was my mother. dannon oikos greek nonfat yogurt, too delicious to be so nutritious. and try new rich creamy dannon oikos dips. so dippin' good. ♪ dannon. back now with a segment we're calling what if. what if, for example, some saved a few lawn chairs at a crowded pool or a guest arrives with an unexpected dog. >> summer is full of sticky

social situations. i can't even read that. >> you're always up for a good competition, aren't you? it's going to be great. >> we've got a couple of our friends with a grand prize of a moral compass. experts today, lisa, author of 24 karat etiquette. and co-author of emily post etiquette, 18th edition. ladies, good morning. >> good morning. >> this is an x-ray into your soul to see how ethical you are. we're ready for the next question. >> i have the first question. this is a hot button issue for many. so what if you want to save chairs at the pool or beach for your friends who are arriving later in the day? so, a, sorry. this is similar to saving a space for someone in line. it's not fair to save chairs for others. b, go ahead but only if you arrive early when there are multiple chairs available. or, c, but only if you save two chairs or less. it's okay if you save two. >> i'm going to say c, two chairs.

>> i'm going to say a. >> willie has the correct answer. it is "c." here's the thing. reserving a couple of chairs does not monopolize a territory at the beach or the pool. really, it's a set limit. everyone should basically have equal opportunity to claim a chair. >> cool. recapping the scory, willie 1. mel b. 0. >> here's your chance. question two. what if you're going to an out of town or destination wedding and the costs are high? do you still give a wedding present? a, no, your present is your present. b, yes, but with a much smaller budget than usual. or, c, yes, you should give the same amount to all your friends. go full boat no matter what. >> i'm going to say "b." >> we've got a "b." >> i'm going with "c." >> mel, you are spot on. it's okay -- technically, you

could still go full boat too, but you're spending so much on the airfare to get there. although i do think it's really lovely when couples say your present is your presence kind of wedding. >> we learned from larry david in one episode of "curb your enthusiasm." no gift means gift. everybody wants a gift even if they say they don't, right? is ready for the next one. >> question three, this is basically the technological world we live in today. what if your friend sends out an evite to a summer party, but you never received the invitation, what would you do? a, assume you weren't invited and make alternate plans. b, have another friend ask the host, perhaps it was an oversight. or, c, talk directly to your friend who was hosting the party. >> "c," definitely "c." >> confrontation. >> i don't want to copy. i'll go bnc"b." >> it's definitely "c." >> i have to say, willie, again. >> i agree with be direct, but i

have to say "b." >> there's nothing wrong with inquiring with a close confidant to find out whether you were invited to the party. >> who makes these rules? i want to speak to them. >> the rule makers in the etiquette world. >> you're sitting with them. >> exactly. >> the bottom line is you don't want to offend your host. >> but ask in like a polite way. >> is you could, if you have a very close relationship. >> why the hell didn't you invite me? >> what's going on with that? >> exactly. >> we're ready for the next one. >> number four, here's our dogs. what if your house guests arrive for a week at the beach, your place, with their uninvited , unwelcomed dog? what do you do? a, restrict the dog to the yard and kitchen. b, ask them to board the dog. c, as a gracious host, say nothing. >> you know what, i would go with "c" actually. >> really? >> depending on how big the dog is. >> that's important. >> that is important. >> i don't know who's keeping score, but, willie, this one is to you. >> it's a blowout.

this is a blowout. i get the moral compass. >> if there was an allergy or something like that, then you're going to need to talk about boarding the dog because we all need to be healthy and happy. otherwise, the yard, the kitchen. we can make compromises. >> for the record, just ask your host if you can bring the dog. >> really good point. a guest always asks if there's a dog. >> is apparently not. >> lisa and anna, happy 4th to both of you. thanks for coming. coming up next, consumer stories you want to know before you leave the house. plus the gear you need to keep the family safe this summer. >> you get the compass? >> the moral compass. i don't have one. i need it. ready or not, here i come!

[ male announcer ] tim and richard smucker have always loved the taste of just-picked fruit. so it's no wonder why today smucker's makes the world's best jam. found ya! you always find me. you always hide here. [ male announcer ] with a name like smucker's, it has to be good. you always find me. you always hide here. we're talkingere. with lisa about the walmart low price guarantee. nothing says all american like... bbq sauce! you know if you find a lower advertised price they'll match it at the register. nice! oh my gosh! bring in your last grocery receipt to walmart this 4th of july and see for yourself. i want it all... all the volume... all the drama with new l'oreal million lashes excess mascara. now l'oreal's legendary volumizing brush is bigger than ever - multiple bristles... for a multitude of volumized lashes. millionized...

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♪ i see you made yourself breakfast. how'd you know? ♪ go olive garden.ow? go 2 for $25. go father, daughter. go mother, son. start with unlimited salad and breadsticks. share a pair of apps. then choose 2 of 5 summer entrees. like spicy shrimp vesuvio or new tuscan garlic chicken. so have a date night. have a double-date night. go 3 courses for 2 people just $25. go olive garden! we're all family here. and try our lighter fare menu. 5 delicious choices under 575 calories. let's take a look at some of the headlines. a grand reopening on the 4th of

july. the statue of liberty opened to visitors for the first time since superstorm sandy last year. the storm left much of liberty island a mess. damage estimates at $60 million. a story out of japan where scientists have created a functional human liver from stem cells from skin anded bloo. they were able to grow what's called liver buds and transplant them into human mice, where they eventually performed the functions of liver cells. it may be ten years before lab grown livers may be used in people. a concern about a certain chemical in pepsi products. the chemical used for caramel coloring is known as formel, and in trace amounts has not been linked to cancer in humans. even so, california added that to its list of carcinogens, leaving pepsi and coke to adjust the formula. the level in pepsi is still a concern in other parts of the country. pepsi says the formula change nationwide should be completed by next february but says the

fda considers its caramel safe. you may not know his name, but you sure know what he inv t invent invented. doug engelbart died after a long battle with alzheimer's disease. he invented the computer mouse which he developed out of wood in the 1960s. it helped translate the way we work and communicate. an emotional scene wednesday in norfolk, virginia, home cummings and hugs as more than 5,000 servicemen and women returned from a long deployment on the "uss eisenhower." the aircraft carrier is back from tours of duty in the middle east and arrived at its home port just in time for the 4th of july. it looked like old faithful in san diego when a driver ran into a fire hydrant and was trapped inside his car as thousands of gallons of water poured up and down on his vehicle. it took emergency crews about an hour to get the man out. he's okay. no doubt has a harrowing story to tell. >> i'm walking in. >> here she comes. this is her dramatic walk in. >> this is my dramatic entrance.

>> you walk in and present yourself. >> and say hi. >> wonderful. >> we'll be back after local news and weather. it'thinking about tomorrow.dy which is why he's investing in his heart health by eating kellogg's raisin bran®. good morning dad. hi, sweetie. [ male announcer ] here's another eye opener. not only is kellogg's raisin bran® heart healthy it's a delicious source of potassium. ♪ mom make you eat that? i happen to like raisins. now that's what i'm talkin' about. [ male announcer ] invest in your heart health with kellogg's raisin bran®. at the time i just thought "the toothpaste i'm using i like. it's just not handling the sensitivity." the dentist recommended sensodyne. it continued to have all the other things that i wanted in a toothpaste but additionally, i don't have sensitivity to the cold anymore. these are sandra's "homemade" yummy, scrumptious bars. hmm? i just wanted you to eat more fiber. chewy, oatie, gooeyness... and fraudulence.

i'm in deep, babe. you certainly are. [ male announcer ] fiber one. happy fourth of july. b.a.r.t. workers on strike for the fourth straight day, they met for another round of talks yesterday but no deal. a sad story here, a kids camp near yosemite trying to return to normalcy after a tree fell yesterday. the student at uc santa cruz was working at the camp for the summer. four other women were injured when that tree fell but they are expected to be okay. at least three businesses damaged after an overnight fire in san jose, happened on north king road near mayberry. firefighters are still investigating the cause of this

fire. a story you will see only here on nbc bay area, several sources telling us the san jose police officers association has lost its arbitration battle with the city. we are being told the ruling means a cap on cashing out accrued vacation and sick time and also means the officers will not get back that 10% in pay they gave up to help the city balance its books. the city manager's office confirms there's a verdict but did not comment on the specifics. the city charter prevents public disclosure for the ten days or so the two sides can possibly negotiate a better deal. we will have a look at your local weather right after this break.

welcome back now, still tracking showers and thunderstorms, activity right now located in the trivalley. still going to be hot and going to keep those thunderstorms in the forecast all day long. 87 degrees in fremont. 93 in san jose. you can see my little smile starting to appeal this is the final day john, of triple digit heat, but that heat is going to lead to really comfortable

conditions tonight. 72 degrees in san jose, for example, then friday into saturday, the 80s return. you will notice that heat relief tomorrow and then as we head through next week, temperatures kind of stabilizing in the upper 80s to low 90s. by wednesday of next week, just 88 degrees. so finally, a stretch of average weather, whereas we have had this extreme heat now, going on six days, triple digits, today will be the seventh jon, over to you. >> give you a little applause on that forecast and the graphics, the fourth of july graphics, spectacular. another local update for you half an hour from now. hope to see you then. the "today" show still coming back at you.

welcome back to more of "today" on this independence day, 2013. i'm willie geist out on the plaza with mel b. of "america's got talent" helping us out today. what could be better than having one of the spice girls on independence day? the british thing and the american day going on. >> it's a bit inappropriate, don't you think? >> is there some tension because of that? >> i think we get on. >> just ahead, summer safety, fireworks, your pets, hot grills, good advice, and a few new products to help everybody keep happy and healthy this holiday weekend and all summer long. >> there's no better way to show your patriotism -- have i got that right? >> yes. >> than with these products made in the usa.

>> we've got some of those coming up. if your friends and family will be knocking on your door in just a few hours, we've got a great last-minute marinade for the chicken you're about to throw on the grill. plus a little side dish and dessert. we've got you covered on this 4th of july. first a check of the weather with maria la rosa. >> good morning. want to see if the weather is going to cooperate. so far it's great for the people on the plaza, but if you take a look at the big fireworks show, the macy's fireworks over the river, partly cloudy skies. it will be still be sticky. storm free, near 80. heavy showers and torrential rain continuing for the gulf coast, ohio valley, and back through portions of the rockies. out west it is staying dry in a lot of spots. it continu

85 bay side, 77 at the coast, then once that sun drops off, san francisco tonight, 9 p.m., 60 degrees you mostly clear that means you will be able to see the fire once, this year. much cooler weather starting tomorrow. >> mel and willie, back over to you. many of you have already made your outdoor plans for the long holiday weekend, whether you're taking in the fireworks or heading to the beach. >> but along with that, summer fun. >> lots of summer fun. there are some safety concerns, especially when it comes to your kids and your pets. kathleen beatty, aka the safety chick, is here with products and advice to keep everybody happy and healthy with 4th. great to see you. >> good to see you too. >> where do we want to start? >> noah, come on in. >> come on in, noah. >> a few products to show. according to web md, children are the most susceptible to heat exhaustion, heat injuries this summer. so a few things parents need to remember. a 90 pound kid needs

approximately 6 ounces of water every 15 minutes to keep him hydrated. absolutely. polar products is a fantastic -- this is to keep your neck cold. you soak it for about 20, 30 minutes in the morning, and it stays cool for 24 hours. >> how do you know, when you're a parent, if you have a problem with heat exhaustion for your kids? >> headaches, sick to your stomach, kind of clammy. you really need to watch for that. really get him to a shady spot and keep him cool. the other dangers are at night. school's out. out playing later than normal and you're in the dark. these light up l.e.d. things are really cool. you can have -- these are also you can put into your backpack or bike so they're lit up at night. >> better than the barbie tassels for the boys. noah, thanks, man. appreciate it. >> so the aspca, again, also says, look, pets are just as susceptible to heat exhaustion. you really need to be careful.

first, how many people have pets who are afraid of lightning, afraid of sound? this being 4th of july, fireworks. so quincy is wearing a thunder shirt, which is a light compression vest that has showed to reduce anxiety in pets greatly. >> does that work? >> absolutely. 80% of customers say it absolutely works like a charm. >> if the fireworks go off, the dog doesn't freak out if wearing the thunder shirt. >> then the aspca also says, the asphalt, cement gets really hot. and you have to be careful because their pause are delicate. rambo is wearing some very stylish sandals. >> that's hilarious. >> do you like that? they come in a variety of colors, funnyfur.com. >> only in america. >> they make them in britain too. the last thing is also, there's some treats, little popsicle treats for dogs that you can

feed them to keep them hydrated. >> thanks, rambo. looking good. let's get in the pool now with the little guys. >> is okay. pool safety, very, very important, right? but truly to keep your pool cool, you must -- safe, you have to have many layers of protection. first is a fence, next is a cover, next is a gate, and the last line of defense is a monitor, safety turtle. >> how does it work? >> you put it on his wrist, and there's a home base. the minute he's in the water, the alarm goes off and lets you know. but the ultimate is, in addition to that, have a dww, like designated water watcher, an adult that for 15 minutes is going to stay there and watch the pool. how many times have you heard of drownings where people are standing there? you have to designate somebody. >> that's the worst nightmare. >> the reason he has on this great swim shirt is because a lot of kids get a false sense of

swimming when they have the water wings on and they're vertical. what swim experts say is you want to teach your kids to first float on his stomach, float on his back, and this is a great floaty, but it also gets him in the proper position to allow him to learn how to swim. >> you're a cutie pie, raren't you? >> safety aground the grill. that's the problem for a lot of people. >> according to the family medical walk-in clinic, 18,000 people come through their clinic every year from burns from barbecues. this is a flame retardant apron and flame resistant gloves, so when you're reaching over, you don't singe off your arm hair. you might want to remember that for your barbecue. >> you would like that, mel. kind of got like a suede vibe. do you do a lot of grilling? >> no. >> i didn't think so. you want to have fireworks and keep the kids away from them. >> exactly. huge number of kids get injured every year from sparklers. sparklers burn at 1,200 degrees. a great option for little ones

with little arms are glow sticks. >> back in the day in the '90s, we didn't to that. >> thank you so much. great tips. happy 4th of july. coming up next, wear your flag proudly. patriotic products all made in the usa. there are women who sacrifice so much. not giving a thought to their own satisfaction. like this woman here. hello! what's your name? linda. linda obviously sacrificed a good haircut so that her daughter could have a warm coat. it's windy. yeah. now you can help people like linda stop with the sacrificing. tell them about light & fit greek nonfat yogurt twice the protein and 80 calories. thick... creamy. taste satisfying, right? eat! light and fit greek! ♪ dannon! new miracle blur. breakthrough for your skin. in seconds, it erases the look of lines, and wrinkles, and pores.

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[ male announcer ] it's kfc original recipe without the bones white or dark meat boneless and skinless try a 10 piece mixed bucket for just $14.99. it's been a happy union. he does laundry, and i do the cleaning. there's only two of us... how much dirt can we manufacture? more than you think. very little. [ doorbell rings ] [ lee ] let's have a look, morty. it's a sweeper. what's this? what's that? well we'll find out. we'll find out. [ lee ] it goes under all the way to the back wall. i came in under the assumption that it was clean. i've been living in a fool's paradise! oh boy... there you go... morty just summed it up. the next 44 years we'll be fine. ♪ [ male announcer ] hurry in to lowe's for 4th of july savings like up to 20% off select major appliances over $399. ziploc makes fresh lunches better than ever. for a limited time only

get two box tops for your school. so this year's lunches can be the best yet. sc johnson. [ laughs ] ♪ [ female announcer ] hey ladies. you love it. you've got to have it. cinnamon toast crunch, 'cause that cinnamon and sugar is so irresistible. everybody craves those crazy squares.® 'cause that cinnamon and sugar is so irresistible. what if we could keep that much plastic waste

out of landfills each year. by using just one less trash bag each month... we can. and glad forceflex bags stretch until they're full. so you can take them out less often. it's a small change that can make a big difference. and for continuous odor neutralization... use new glad odorshield with febreze. 4th of july is all about celebrating america, of course. one way to do that is by using american made goods. >> here with tried and true products is clint carter, senior social editor of "men's health" magazine. >> happy 4th of july, folks. let's start out by talking about chubby's shorts. this company started in stamford, connecticut, started just a couple of years ago. they already have a very loyal following. i think we have a picture. this is the u.s. army's 9th

infantry regimen here. >> stationed in afghanistan. >> looking very handsome in their chubby shorts. looking very sharp. >> why aren't you wearing them? >> later today, i'll be wearing them on the beach. >> is this a bathing suit? >> you can wear them in the water, why not? >> let's talk jewelry. >> dog ear jewelry, made in california. really good way to show state pride because they've got all the little state necklaces there. nothing more than $50. so nice price point. >> stetson hats? >> the iconic, known for cowboy hats. of course, made in texas. started in 1865. a lot of people don't realize they make a lot of other things as well. they make cologne, glasses, shirts, and these sweet fedoras. >> you like a man in one of these? >> i do actually. >> better if i put it on. >> new balance shoes. most people don't realize this, they're made in the u.s. too. i love these. i wear them around the house. they're more comfortable than my

house slippers, which i guarantee aren't made in the u.s. >> they're the most comfortable sneaker. >> they're fantastic. about $160. you can go online, customize your own shoes. >> i like that. >> you can have them embroider a little saying on the side if you want to. >> some american classics. football? ada, ohio. >> baseball. iconic american sports here. these are made in the u.s. wilson football made in ada, ohio. small town, population 6,100. >> it's american. >> i know it's american. i've been living here for ten years. stop it. >> different kind of football. >> louisville slugger is the classic. >> louisville, kentucky. made for over 120 years. >> this one has your name on it. >> i got it personalized. >> if you go on their website, they'll personalize a bat for you too. >> i will. >> so the american ballplayer. >> where's my name? >> got to go online. >> what is that? we invite her and don't give her a bat. >> crayola crayons, american

classic. >> of course. it's a great one. they make over 120 colors. so the decision is always which one to choose. >> these have got to be big in your house. >> yeah, they are. >> everyone's got them. >> popcorn, peanuts, american food here. americans eat more than 4 billion gallons of popcorn, more than 1.5 billion -- >> you just made that up. >> pounds of peanuts per year. >> you made that number up. >> i do eat more than my fair share. hubbard's peanuts in virginia, north carolina, south carolina peanuts. and great american popcorn company out of illinois. >> delicious. cutting boards. >> another great way to show your state pride. these are made by a couple, a wife and husband in brooklyn a couple miles from where we stand now. any state you want. >> i love that. >> the hammock, my favorite product up here. pawley's make these great hammocks. they've been making them 125 years out of south carolina. super comfortable. great investment there. >> i'm drooling looking at this.

i'm serious. i love a riding lawn mower. >> iconic american brand. john deere. i drove in on this from tennessee. >> did you really? >> no, you did not. >> got here this morning. >> good miles per gallon. >> i just need to get in the cockpit for a few minutes. >> you drive that and go long. >> this feels good. may i have this? >> you may. i brought it for you. >> i think i should have that. >> clint carter, thank you so much. happy 4th. >> coming up next, americans, we're good at making barbecue in addition to all this. great last-minute recipes for your holiday cookout right after this. ♪ na na na na na na na na na ♪ ♪ i'm gonna use my two hands ♪ i'm gonna move a mountain ♪ i woke up to a light bulb on ♪ every little thing is possible now ♪ [ female announcer ] kraft singles have no artificial flavors and they're always made with milk,

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and we're like, "is it just us, or has this been a really good conversation?" and you were like, "i would talk, but my mouth is full of yogurt." yoplait. it is so good! a blt with best foods is the best. ♪ ♪ bring out the unmistakable taste that can only be best foods. bring out the best.

. . pu . when the chocolate is hershey's life is delicious. >> announcer: today's kitchen is brought to you by hershey's smore. >> in today's kitchen, easy last-minute recipes if you're going to fire up the grill. contributing food editor at "house beautiful" magazine. alex, good to see you.

>> so happy to see y'all. >> y'all, you're from texas? >> it's georgia, but it's all down there somewhere. the first thing we're going to do is the perfect, million dollar perfect every time grilled chicken. can you get you to help me? >> start with the marinade. >> mel says she's not a very good cook. >> i'm not a very good cook. >> i don't believe it. we're going to fix it. a little bit of water. >> little bit of water? >> willie, here's the wine. water. the whole thing, water. >> whole thing of water. >> soy sauce, a little chopped onion, some garlic, and some spices. >> and you marinate the chicken in this? >> that's it. throw that in there. >> garlic. what are the spices there, alex? >> spices are oregano and dried mustard. >> i'm getting out of the way of that. no offense, mel. >> i'm not that bad. >> there is no way to go wrong here. it's 5 minutes, it's 30 minutes. >> five.

>> five minutes. 30 minutes. overnight. it's a million dollar recipe, perfect every time. >> you can live it overnight? >> 5 minutes, 30 minutes, overnight. doesn't make a difference. no way to go wrong. >> with chicken, you have to be careful. it has to be properly cooked. >> it has to be. and be very careful when handling chicken. we're going to flip it over just like that. >> do you have any rules, chef? how long? is >> six, eight minutes, depending on the temperature of the pan. once it starts browning up like that, you know it's done. you don't want to overcook it. we haven't overcooked it here. i'm going to say that's just about perfect. mel? there we go. >> look at this. feeding each other. >> i love it. let's do it again. >> no. >> didn't work for her. >> this is good. what's this? >> super food, gourmet coleslaw with broccoli. >> with the chicken. >> why do you love broccoli so

much? >> i love broccoli. antioxidants and nutrients and unbelievable stuff. there you go. broccoli slaw, so, so good. it's a magic combination. >> that's gorgeous. what's happening with our chicken over here? is it done? >> we're going to get that done. and in the meantime, we're going to make the best red, white, and blue dessert of all time. right here, a summer berry pavlova. >> i love a pavlova. you can't beat a pavlova. >> can i get you to help? this is a meringue i made beforehand. >> why do i want to throw this? >> it looks like a frisbee. >> there's no trick to making a meringue. anyone it do that. it's in "house beautiful" july. >> is that infused with

something? >> bourbon. there you go. you make the layers like this, and stewed fruit right over the top. a little sugar, a little chambord. >> we're going to take a break. be right back. this is "today" on nbc. ♪

[ roars ] ♪

♪ [ roars ] ♪ [ roars ] ♪ [ male announcer ] universal studios summer of survival. ♪ we are live. >> we're on tv, and we're making desserts for the 4th of july. >> we're live. >> coming up, the thunder from down under. >>

good morning, happy fourth of july to you. it's 9:56. i'm marla tellez. man accused of killing two wing stop employees in oakland earlier this week will face some charges tomorrow. police say jermaine girly is being held without bail.

girly and another man allegedly entered the wing stop late tuesday night and then there was an encounter with someone. officers say girlie and the other man ran to the back of the restaurant and hid in a freezer. when the two employees went to investigate, they were shot to death. police say they are still looking for the second man but they will not say if he is a suspect. california's biggest junior college faces an uncertain future this morning. city college of san francisco will lose its accreditation in july of next year. the accrediting commission for community and junior colleges says ccsf did not do enough to fix financial and educational deficiencies. the school will appeal this decision. in the meantime, the campus will remain open and acredited. we can find out as soon as monday whether the new eastern span of the bay bridge will open as scheduled on labor day weekend. the bridge oversight committee will brief local government leaders on monday morning during a closed-door meeting in

sacramento t is possible the grand opening could be delayed due to several construction mishaps. well, let's see if we are going to be able to see those fireworks tonight, meteorologist christina loren, a clear night in store for us. >> got the thunderstorms, natural fireworks right here, right now this morning, happy fourth of july, marla, to you at home. look that the wrap around moisture. had quite a bit of shower activity so far this morning, most of which was on the south end of the peninsula moving to the east bail. head throughout the day, fair game, mountain thunderstorms throughout the day. thunderstorms move over the valley and we could get some pretty heavy rainfall from time to time. 3 in san jose, 77, san francisco, your 7-day forecast in just three minutes. right now, back to you, marla. >> christina, thanks. we will be back with our next local update in 30 minutes see you again at 10:26.

from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. ♪ ♪ ♪ it's thirsty thursday and the fourth of july, you might know, it's also happy birthday time. 237th birthday for america.

doesn't look a day over 200, does it? >> we want to thank this great quartet, the usas brass quartet. that's the united states air force brass quintet. >> it's not "god bless america" as we were told. >> this is a great ensemble who come and decided to enjoy their fourth with us. so we thank them. they'll be playing for us during the show. >> thank you. >> wow. >> nice. >> yankee doodle dandy. >> i liked it. >> happy fourth. since we oar it's the fourth of july. we had to have the appropriate drink. >> of course. >> this is pink sangria. >> does that go over your head? try your hat on. >> it fits perfectly. >> perfectly. >> these are great hats. >> actually, this is -- >> i like it. let me see yours. >> you look like betsy ross. >> i hear she was hot.

>> all right. so we are drinking a pink sangria. >> we are? >> yes. >> let's taste it. >> we like. >> we have a cocktail segment coming up. >> yes, we do. >> here's something according to trip adviser.com. a lot of people will be heading out of town, traveling for the fourth of july. some are going to the beach. so the question is dwhoorkts you think is appropriate wear for the beach when you hit the beach? 34% said it is inappropriate for men to wear speedos. >> is that a thong? >> yes, it's like a thong. >> i find them not at all attractive. at all. >> do you? >> i wish i could tell the whole joke but there's a funny joke about a guy that goes to europe and he puts on his speedo and walks all around and nobody -- nobody -- he gets no attention from the women at all. finally he sees an old fisherman and he goes, sir, you need to go to the marketplace. french accent. you need to go to the

marketplace and put a potato in your speedo. >> he goes, oh, okay. so he goes and puts a potato in his speedo and people start laughing at him. start laughing at him and just making fun of him and the whole thing. and he goes, i did. he said you need to put the potato in the front. >> that's good. >> he was carrying a load down that beach. >> 25% -- >> i love that joke. >> 25% say that skimpy bikinis are -- >> thinking about that potato, aren't you? >> people feel the most comfortable in their bodies. >> look at that. >> let's just live here for one second. >> how old were you? >> i think i was 32 then. >> you were 32. >> had you had your kids or not yet? >> no, no, no. that's right before frank and i got married. when i weighed 104. >> i never weighed 104,

honestly. >> at birth. >> well -- >> too funny. >> i remember in sixth grade when i weighed 101. i remember the feeling of standing on the scale and going oh, my god, that feeling was so awful because everyone was like, i'm 88, i'm 90. >> but you were much taller than everyone. >> not really. >> and you were egyptian. >> what does that have to do with anything? >> you are a sun goddess. tall and lean. >> most people are the most confident in their bodies, a bikini body, when they reach their 50s. that's the age at which you are most confident. >> 59, that's what i automatic. >> would you go out in a bikini? >> not in a pig's -- never! i will never again look like i did in that other. >> why do you care? >> i care. there's satellites in the sky. i'm terrified of that thing that they have celebrity bodies gone bad. you know? they take a picture of you some place and then they send it to

whatever magazine does it and then they show it and you are humiliated. >> i get very, very, very embarrassed in the gym because just lately a lot of people have been working out a lot and when they get ready in the gym, they put a towel on the floor. they are in their underwear and bra. they are this thin and they put on their whole makeup. they do all their hair while they are in there. but that's how they do it. like people are walking around and it's -- i'm always like with a towel and i look like a crazy person. >> you have a beautiful body. i've seen it. it's darn good. >> you know what i mean? it's a weird thing. can i say something else? i don't like those girls. i don't like them because i think they are too confident. i guess i don't -- >> we're running out of people that like our show. you offend everyone. those girls know you. now they don't like you either and we need 500 more people, don't we? we need the kids out there. >> we need the college kids to tweet us. the college -- first of all, we

love our college kids because you guys, we had no clue how many people were watching. we know you guys are awesome. we're probably a drinking game every time kathie lee says something. >> now we want to exploit you if you don't mind at all. you might as well get used to it. >> get on our twitter account. >> we'd love that. then that puts us over 100,000. we've almost caught up to kim kardashian? >> not even close. >> we have some guys with hot bads. >> they're all right. i saw them. they're all greased up. >> they are in the green room. they are slicked up. their chests -- ♪ it's raining men >> they are from the land down under. they are like the chippendales of australia. >> they are very cute. here's the thing. why are we having australians on on our birthday. they're not american. >> because we are open and loving and we love all people. >> they are greased up like that. >> would you prefer that body or would you prefer another body

who we have in our studio? this is something called the beer belly. we want to point out what this beer belly is. gerard is sporting a beer belly. can you show us a little bit of your underbelly. >> that is full of beer. it can hold up to -- it's like a baby bjorn. >> would you look at it? it can hold more than a six pack. but convenient. it's convenient, isn't it? >> it's almost like recycling. >> you look good. you wanted the show to get started because he was finishing up the beer. it can hold more than six beers. and it keeps it cold. >> you have a hairy back? >> no. hairy front. >> hairy front. all right, that is one fine man. $30 for that. >> we're going to play a little

fourth of july trivia. sara is going to join us and quiz us. >> lots of movies about the fourth of july. i'm going to ask you questions. you guess which one. >> we're going to pop the popper. i don't know how we're going to do that. >> which string, that one? >> yes. you take that one. >> or blow your horn. which oliver stone noon 89 epic -- >> which is it? >> "fourth of july." >> "born on the fourth of july." >> sorry. >> wow. wow. didn't get through that question. >> hold on. here is another one. tom cruise. which 1975 hit thriller directed by steven spielberg featured a town preparing for a fourth of july celebration while always -- >> "jaws." >> kathie lee? >> which 1996 sci-fi block buster turned will smith into a bona fide movie star -- >> what?

>> premature poppage. that was not -- you don't know the answer. >> which film featured a boxer preparing to fight his nemesis -- >> the one with russell crowe. >> no. >> rocky -- >> and we have a clear winner. kathie lee has taken this. >> continue. i like this game. >> one more? >> tiebreaker. >> this will break the tie even though it's 4-0. which broadway show was adopted into a 1972 -- >> 1776. >> and kathie lee will take the title. >> yea. >> thanks, dear. i want to see you model that thing. that beer thing, baby, all right? >> it's time for -- >> in a speedo. oh, yeah. i'm sorry. >> it's time for our -- >> this is a slow and easy

summer song. i love the swann brothers so much on the "voice." this is a great -- an old song they covered called "drift away." >> am i going to like this one? >> you're going to love it. ♪ oh, give me the beat boy free my soul i wanna get lost in your rock 'n' roll and drift away ♪ ♪ give me the beat boy free my soul i wanna get lost in your rock 'n' roll and drift away ♪ >> i vote it's not as much fun when i like the song. >> i liked when we did a little john and low last week. >> that was the worst piece of crap i've ever heard in my life. is it okay or not okay to post minor annoyances on twitter? that was a question "ok"

magazine asked us. here's what we said. >> i think people are confused about what is actually interesting to other people, don't you think? >> well, you might be right on that. here's my answer. yes it is okay. anybody can post whatever they want no matter how annoying. here's the good news. you don't have to read it. >> but you look so self of absorbed and so self-centered. >> stop reading other people's tweets. >> i don't. >> who are those women? >> i don't know. >> who thought it was a good idea to give them a tv show? >> all right, you guys. this great band, the u.s. air force -- >> the united states air force is going to take us to commercial. we've got a great show coming up, you guys. stick with us. >> happy birthday, america! ♪ ♪

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♪ okay. talk about your fireworks, folks. just take a look at this guy. he's gone completely to pot. he's benjamin bratt. he's heard, yet sadly not seen in the new universal picture

films "despicable me 2." he plays two roles. elmacho pretending to be eduardo who runs a latin restaurant. as eduardo, he -- romance with drew an ex-villain turned good guy voiced by steve carell. >> that's too much. >> watch it. >> hey, what's wrong? >> oh, nothing. nothing is wrong. i'm just chilling with the guac from my chip hat. >> please, i know that look all too well. it is the look of a broken heart. >> how did you know? >> believe me, my friend, i, too, have spent many nights trying to drown my sorrows in guacamole. >> haven't we all? >> that's adorable. so good to see you. >> and yours almost didn't happen. you getting this role. it's very serendipitous.

>> indeed it was. i was called upon in the 11th hour. al pacino was the original actor hired for the job. so the animators created the character based on what he had laid down vocally. so what i was asked to do when they decided mutual three part ways was come in, relocate the soul of the character and -- >> i'm sorry. >> he was talking about creative differences. how do we have creative differences with el macho? i love al. i adore him but that's funny. >> from my point of view, what he laid down was brilliant. hilarious and they animated to all the extravagance he gave them. so it was quite a thrill for me to come in and a challenge, really, to try to find -- >> it's almost like he opened for you. al pacino open forward benjamin bratt on broadway. >> this performance, we're conjoined. on some befl we've achieved it together. >> you'll love the movie. >> do you enjoy doing this kind of thing, the animated film?

>> it's a blast. you don't have to worry about wardrobe, hair, makeup. >> and you have children of your own so they love -- how old are your kids? >> i have a 10-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old boy. >> so your 7-year-old boy would love this. >> look at those cutis you have there. >> my kids know full well what i do for a living. they just don't care. they never really have. but they went to the premiere last weekend on the yellow carpet in los angeles and dad has a new cool quotient that i never had before. >> that's awesome. >> that is so great. now i haven't seen you in about 20 years and i wondered this morning. i wonder how that benjamin bratt looks. >> you have not changed. >> gorgeous! >> from the "law & order" days. >> but i haven't seen him in person. >> i'd say it's the love of a good woman. >> you did find a great woman. she's beautiful. >> my wife talisa and i have been married for 11 years. my, how time flies. when you have kids it just kind of increases. >> what a good looking couple.

>> has she just decided to stay home a little bit more and be mom? >> she was a working actor when we met. that's how we met actually. but i think her true calling is she likes to put it was always being a dedicated parent. and so we both approach it in a similar way. someone has to earn the bread. >> that's right. >> so we love to take turns but -- >> what's in the hopper coming up? >> another animated film coming now the the fall "cloudy with a chance of meatballs 2." revenge of the leftovers. >> oh, that's great. that's a good one. >> that was brilliant. >> it is, actually. it is. >> we love you. >> it's great. thanks for coming to see us. >> the movie will be another huge hit. you can catch "despicable me 2" at a theater near you. we'll unleash the latest webtastic video. it's a doggone funny parody of a miley cyrus song. [ female announcer ] unlike other sour creams,

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so dippin' good. ♪ dannon. ♪ it's time for webtastic. sara haines ditigs up the very next video you'll want to share. >> miley cyrus' video has been making a lot of news. i saw it the other day. it's pretty raunchy. and online pet site, the pet collective, took notice. >> yes, the folks there created a pet parody title kwded we can bark" instead of we can't stop. and it really resembles miley's video. check them out.

♪ i'm a puppy, i can do what i want i'm a doggy, i can lick what i want ♪ ♪ work when i want roll where i want ♪ ♪ like we don't care >> it was posted just on june 27th and has over 57,000 hits. ♪ >> the dog in the videos are called maltese cyrus. >> cute. >> i think they have a good sense of humor. over 57,000 hits in a few days. >> all righty. thank you, sara. they are about to check out their new look for the first time. we're going to reveal our ambush makeovers. >> then, ladies, brace yourself. the thunder from down under. >> use your imagination. >> after your local news.

[ male announcer ] to help save wildlife affected by oil spills, rescue workers have opened up a lot of dawn. ♪ they rely on it because it's tough on grease yet gentle. but even they'll tell you, dawn helps open... all: 3, 2, 1! [ male announcer ] ...something even bigger. this year, dawn is also donating $1 million to rescue efforts. go to facebook.com/dawnsaveswildlife. find out how the little things you do can make a big difference. ♪ [ male announcer ] celebrate 4th of july.

choose 18 months special financing on purchases of $299 or more with your lowe's consumer credit card. onwe throw out over $500more ziploin food every year.. help save more of it with ziploc freezer bags featuring smartzip. edge to edge protection you can hear. get ziploc. and get more out of it. [ female announcer ] s.c. johnson. a family company. [ laughs ] ♪ [ female announcer ] hey ladies. you love it. you've got to have it. cinnamon toast crunch, 'cause that cinnamon and sugar is so irresistible. everybody craves those crazy squares.® good morning to you on this fourth of july. 15e9s 0:26, i'm marla tellez. kids camp near yosemite is trying to return to a sense of normalcy after a falling tree killed a counselor there yesterday. anna east resultenburg was a

student at uc santa cruz working at camp ta wang ga for the summer. four other women were hurt when the tree fell but they are expected to be okay. in the south bay, at least three businesses are now damaged after an overnight fire in san jose. it happened on north king road near may merry. firefighters are still investigating the cause. check that fourth of july forecast for you right after the break.

welcome back now. the time is 10:28. still getting some light showers

over the western-facing slopes sur rounding san jose and going to keep that forecast going all day long. look at this wrap around moisture, all wrapping around an area of high pressure now, as that area starts to move to the east, our chances actually going to get a little bit better over the western-facing slopes over san jose. likely going to see pretty strong storms along the spine of the sierra nevada yet again. so today, best chance of thunderstorms over the local mountains here in the south bay. also the north bay mountains and east bay hills, 102 in livermore. that is going to translate to some really comfortable temperatures as we head through tonight f you're looking for the coolest place to check out those fireworks, 6 p.m., 68 degrees in san francisco, 60 at 9 p.m. and marla, talking yesterday how you usually can't see the fireworks. this year, not going tonight case. talk where else the fireworks will be great 11:00. >> thanks, christina. b.a.r.t. workers are on strike for a fourth straight day. b.a.r.t. met with union negotiators for another round of talks yesterday, still no deal but they will meet again very

soon. we will have the very latest on these negotiations coming up in 30 minutes 11:00. jon kelley and i hope to see you then. ♪ we are back on this thirsty thursday, the fourth of july, with a wonderful way to celebrate. it's time for our plaza ambushmakerovers. when we pluck two lucky ladies from the plaza. >> here with the smashing results, today contributor and stylist to the stars louis licari, la, la, la, la. and contributing editor for "people" style watch, jill martin. >> happy fourth. >> happy fourth. >> how were the pickings? >> are you kidding? fireworks came early today. the ladies look great. >> there must be a red head somewhere. >> so let's meet our first lucky lady. eileen from michigan. she's a cancer survivor.

she finished treatment in 2009 and since then has been celebrating life. >> good for her. >> occasionally she's thought about changing her look and finally decided to go for with her family's encouragement. let's take a listen. >> happy 75th birthday. and you didn't want a makeover but you wanted it for your daughter. tell me why. >> she's a great daughter and has always worked hard and put everybody else before herself. and i think that would be a good deal for her to have that. >> a good gift for you. >> yes, it would be. >> i love that. >> what do you think about this for your aunt? >> i'm 11 years old and i've never seen her with a different look. >> 11 years old. wow. we are going to make you new york city glam. i know you're excited. >> i am very excited. i can't believe it. i almost stayed in bed this morning. >> we're so glad she didn't. all right. she's here with her family. her mom jane, her nieces madeleine, molly and emma. her sister-in-law jen and her brother mike. all right, guys. please keep your blindfolds on

for just a second. here's eileen before. let's see the new you. ♪ fireworks come on show them what you're worth ♪ >> oh, wow. >> okay. >> all righty. you ready, guys? take off your blindfolds. >> eileen, you ready to see yourself? >> yes. >> come right here. spin around. unbelievable. >> oh! oh, my goodness. i know you can't believe it, right? >> you look fantastic. >> i feel so glamorous. >> look right here at camera 12. tell us what you did. >> i love the hair color. >> she's beautiful. glamorous. the queen of new york, anna wintour. made a change to the shape of her hair. updated the bob. the bangs. you look fabulous. >> what does mom think over there? >> she looks great. >> kids, what do you guys think?

you look pretty surprised. you love? >> jill, that dress is perfect. >> she's got a fantastic figure. >> this is the best reaction we've ever had. this is from maggie london. she lost over 40 pounds. you were telling me you couldn't find a dress that really fit. >> from maggie london. >> i'm wearing maggie london, too. >> thank you. >> thank you. how great looking. >> wow. >> all righty. now we have mary watkins. 49 from ohio. and she said she doesn't wear makeup often but could see herself wearing it more if she had the right shades and color. she's looking for something different to give herself a renewed sense of confidence. let's hear her story. >> well, kevin is very excited. you can't tell, but i know you want this for your wife. >> yes, i'm very excited. i can't wait to see what you guys can do. >> so what do you think she's going to have a totally different look. >> surprise, surprise. >> you like that. you seem a little nervous?

excited? >> excited and nervous, both. excited about the makeover. a little nervous about tv. >> okay. well, we'll take care of the tv part. >> okay. kevin, ready to see? >> absolutely ready. >> all righty. she's here, as you know, with kevin. and let's take one last look at mary watkins before and bring out the new mary watkins. hold on, kevin. not yet. >> wow. >> oh, wow. okay. serve lo everybody is looking sensation. take a gander at your bride. >> oh, my! very nice. >> yes, mary, turn around and see what he's talking about. >> yes, i do. >> oh, my! i love it! it's gorgeous. >> i knew there would be a red head. >> i love it. thank you. >> it's a little red because it is the fourth of july. >> exactly. >> and again, this is -- bridget with, again, let's look at the detail to the bangs.

the shaping around the face what it did. and the most important thing, she needed to learn a new palette of makeup. they gave her this sthhade to g with her new warm hair color. >> i love the dress. >> it's their anniversary and they're going to red lobster, which is the first place they ever went after they got married. so we wanted to give her a fabulous red dress. she picked it out from maggie london. >> maggie london is having a big day here today. >> all right. thank you very much. beautiful. >> eileen, why don't you slip through here. >> you are going to go to a beach for the fourth of july? a beach that's actually within your reach? >> find out how renting a summer house can cost you less than a hotel. you ladies were great. thank you both. what's tbig eyes!ig look? new big eyes mascara from maybelline new york.

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of the homes but if you need more than one room you have an entire house at your disposal. >> you also have a kitchen. >> you don't have to eat out for every meal. washer and dryer. >> how do you even start to find one. >> there's great websites. vrbo, vacation rentals.com. home away.com. these applications actually are smartphone compatible as well. >> and then you go to a region you're interested in. >> a region or city. however you want to search. >> let's pick some cities and see what we have. wildwood crest, new jersey is a spot you like. >> on the jersey shore. this is a more quiet neighborhood. it sleeps six people for $1600. so great deal. >> for a week. that's for an entire week. the home is one block from the water. so -- and you have water activities right there and you are also getting a really good deal on a house. >> okay. how about the outer banks in north carolina. >> love it there. gorgeous spot. >> absolutely beautiful. >> this home sleeps eight people. about $2400 for the week. and the home itself is highly

upgraded. docks about 75 feet from the water. ideal location. beautiful. and there's wireless and wired internet. if you still want to work when you are on vacation. washer and dryer. great kitchen. upgraded. beautiful home. >> that is terrific. >> and you can share that with another family. it's not like you have to bear the whole brunt of the cost. >> on the website you can determine if there are pets allowed if multiple families can share the home. you can ask the owners questions. >> michigan, a place called perch lake. >> perch lake. it's beautiful. this home is a log cabin home. it's a log cabin lodge. the entire home is made of knotty pine. it has a grahame room for kids. a jacuzzi hot tub for the kids. gorgeous decks. close to amenities. close to state parks, biking, hiking. beautiful home. >> boy, that is -- >> and that's how much for the week? >> 22 -- i'm sorry, $1200 for the week for eight people.

you can easily fit -- >> or just do a bunch of couples and split it up. >> absolutely. >> let's move west a little bit. south lake tahoe. >> if you are a skier, heavenly ski resort. two decks. >> but in the summertime it's gorgeous, too. >> it is absolutely amazing. this home will vary in price range based on what time of year you go. between $1575 and $2275. also sleeps eight people. two decks. one looks at the mountain. one looks at the lake. and a boat dock will accommodate up to three boats. if you are bringing something in or want some time on the water. >> gorgeous. >> it's a phenomenal deal. >> for folks who want to go to california you like huntington beach. >> surf city, usa. this home is about 20 minutes from most major theme parks. very tech savvy home. a gorgeous interior. the fireplace, for example, is glass fireplace, vis nibble a coup visible in a couple of rooms. you could have three families

vacationing together and there's a brand new shopping center like next door. >> and it's not too late now. we're already in july. >> you'll find hundreds of thousands of homes available for the summer. >> can you bargain a little on price? >> particularly last-minute. if they say it's an entire week and you want three days, e-mail the owner. you may be able to get that for a much better deal. >> thank you. mixing thing ups at your fourth of july celebration. >> i'm going to toast to that. >> uh-oh. oh, i remember him. >> yeah, he's -- >> trouble. >> a wild man. ♪ when i'm halfway into your heart ♪ ♪ you have to let me know ♪ so i don't make my worst mistake ♪ ♪ turn around and let you go [ female announcer ] when sweet and salty come together, the taste is irresistible. made with sweet, smooth peanut butter and salted, roasted peanuts. sweet and salty nut bars by nature valley. nature at its most delicious. and now try our new chocolate pretzel nut bar

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say "yes".

yes honey? dad told me that cheerios is good for your heart, is that true? says here that cheerios has whole grain oats that can help remove some cholesterol, and that's heart healthy.

[ dad ] jan? ♪ [ roars ] ♪ ♪ [ roars ] ♪ [ roars ] ♪ [ male announcer ] universal studios summer of survival. ♪ ♪ it would not be the fourth of july without cocktails. >> and the best part is your guests can have fun mixing them up so you can mix with your guests. >> here with some great recipes is the modern mixologist, tony. >> hello, tony.

happy fourth to you. >> happy fourth to you. >> what are we mixing up? >> one of my favorite summertime drinks. the pachita. it's a brazilian drink. >> it's like a brazilian rum. we take some half and half, coconut rum. you can do this with anything. peanut butter, blueberries. >> and you dump it all in there. >> a little red, white and blue garnish for you. >> okay. hoda is cooking. there she goes. >> i'm going to pour some pink sangria. >> we tried that earlier. >> yummy. >> what's different about it? >> we are using rose wine. quantro, vodka. >> the cups are so tiny.

>> i like the fish bowl. it's important. >> thank you. >> you're welcome. >> i'll go ahead and cheers with you. >> that's delish. >> now let's move on, baby. what are we doing next? >> let's get to the you making drinks portion of the segment. >> okay. kathie lee, i think you remember using the boston shaker last time. >> oh, yes. >> somewhat wild, as i remember. >> so i want you to make a fresh bing cherry daiquiri. we're going to squeeze the juice of one lime into the mixing glass. >> a whole lime? >> a whole lime. >> hoda, you want to come over here and start muddling? >> yes. >> she does it all. >> that's only half of one. >> oh, should have been over the glass. >> you want to put some bing cherries in here and a little simple syrup. >> whole lime. >> whole lime. >> oh, that screwed me up. one at a time. >> i don't want to do -- i want to do it my way, tony.

don't ask me to help and then -- >> put some muscle into it. >> oh, tony. tony, tony, tony. >> don't get mama mad. don't get mama mad. >> give it a shake. >> this is taking too long. >> you muddle all that up. once you get it tasting really delicious, add some ice. >> okay. now what? >> two ounces of our cherry infused rum. >> i like the way you measure. >> well, did you premeasure it? am i supposed to measure it as well. >> stop yelling at our guest. >> you stop it. >> now simple syrup. >> how much of the simple syrup. >> that's lime juice. one ounce. okay. perfect. all right. >> shake it. shake it, mama. >> you shake it, hoda. >> pop it. >> pop it. >> shake it. >> go! >> i like wine. >> watch her arms. >> i knew i should have worn a

better bra. >> i can't get it off. >> did you put the vodka in? >> of course. i thought that was simple syrup. >> that's the sweet spot. you just want to pop it. pop it like you mean it. okay. perfect. comes right apart. strainer goes in there. pour it into the glass. >> we have to rock 'n' roll. we're going to sip whatever she made. >> that looks good. >> delicious. >> fresh bing cherries. this is a zigzag. we've made -- >> thank you. >> the watermelon into a punch bowl. >> i know you're talking, but anyway, cheers. >> you might want to have your husband or boyfriend leave the room, everybody. thunder from down under is going to roll in and show some action. first this is "today" on nbc.

you've been waiting for this. for more than 22 years australia's thunder from down under has been bringing new meaning to the phrase a girl's night out. >> they may be australian but they'll definitely have us seeing fireworks this fourth of july. here to show us a few dance moves are current members. happy fourth of july. >> same to you. >> thank you. >> are you sort of the chippendale's of australia? >> a little bit different. similar sort of show but it's very fun. very lighthearted show. nothing too hard core. nothing too sleazy. >> i don't know. i'm not sure looking at this one. >> and the age of your audience goes from what? like -- >> goes from about 21 all the way up to 97. that was our oldest, most experienced audience member. she had a great time. >> putter in the hospital, didn't you? >> we hope not. we hope not. >> you have a little

performance? >> we're going to show you guys a few moves. >> sure. >> come on. we're ready. >> before we move on with that. the reason we came is thunder from down under are going to be very close to new york for the next two months. we're going to be in the mt. erie casino and lodge. >> we love it. it's beautiful. >> good. all right, guys. >> we're ready. >> let's see what you've got. >> bring out the boys. >> here we go! ♪ ♪ ♪ >> so fun. i like this song. ♪ well, i walk into the room passing out hundred dollar bills and it kills and it thrills like

the horns on my silv raudy grill ♪ ♪ and i buy the farm a double round of crown and serve getting down in this town ♪ ♪ ain't never going to be the same ♪ >> ready? ♪ because i saddled up my horse and i ride into i make a lot of noise because the girls they are so pretty ♪ ♪ riding up and down broadway on a sunday morning ♪ ♪ save a horse ride a cowboy ♪ ♪ everybody says save a horse ride a cowboy ♪ ♪ i don't give a dang about nothing i'm singing and bling-blingin' ♪ ♪ and i wouldn't trade old levoy for your escalade ♪ ♪ i'm the only john wade left in this town ♪ ♪ and i saddle up my horse and i ride into the city ♪

>> have a good night. >> all right. yeah! ♪

good morning, everybody, and a happy fourth of july to one and all. thanks for joining us. i'm john kelly. >> happy fourth of july to you, i'm marla tellez. thanks for being with us. happening now, it may be a holiday but that's not stopping union leaders and b.a.r.t. from negotiating on this fourth day of the b.a.r.t. strike. will today be the day they finally reach a deal? nbc bay area's christie smith joins us live from oakland where both sides just got back to bargaining. christie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, marla. negotiators heading into the caltrans building here in oakland told us, all the media standing here they couldn't talk with us, because there was a gag order. one union member with seiu, he stopped and he had a number of choice words, calling this who